Sometimes it seems smarter to invest in books about carpets than in the real thing, the collectible rug. We observed, almost without fail, that whenever carpet literature showed up at auction the percentage sold was much higher than that of rugs and the prices fetched often were several times the estimate.
For simplicity's sake, prices reported here are rounded amounts in domestic currency. The exchange rates used are 1 US$ = 1.70 DM, = 0.68 Pound Sterling (£), = 1.45 Swiss francs (sfr).
| Illustration 1. White Ground Kazak, 19th century, 127x109cm., Nagel's Lot 96, made DM15,000 (17,500) |
The worldwide recession has been the great equalizer in these sales. Premiums on hammer prices around the world are nearly the same, 15 percent. Rippon Boswell at Wiesbaden adds a little more (16 percent) and Nagel, Stuttgart, frankly declares art dealers' premium is merely 12 percent. There is little doubt, but no official confirmation, that the big London auction houses (and others) will grant their good accounts from the trade a premium closer to the former 10 percent.
To attract consignors, Bonham's charges sellers 10 percent on lots over £1,000 and 5 percent on lots over £30,000. The buyers premium is a noteworthy 10 percent only.
Although the January 1994 sale totaled £155,000 with over 90 percent selling, Mr. Middleton will have to work very hard to keep the boat afloat and he should bear in mind Anthony Thompson's three trial runs several years ago. Sure, 90 percent of the pieces sold means a better start-up, but the quality of the lots is what counts with advanced collectors and dealers.
Bibliographic classics such as Sarre & Trenkwald's two-volume Alt-Orientalische Teppiche sold to the telephone for 5,500 DM (5000). Also to a telephone bidder went Emil Schmutzler's Altorientalische Teppiche in Siebenbürgen, no. 197 of an edition of 325 books, for 6,300 DM (4,500). A commission bid fetched F.R. Martin's three volumes of A History of Oriental Carpets before 1800 for 8,000 DM (8,800). There were only two provisional sales among the 123 lots from the Bogner library.
That afternoon, of the 183 rugs Rippon Boswell put on the block, almost 50 percent were knocked down below 1,000 DM, 10 percent did not find a bidder, with only 5 percent exceeding the estimate, and there were many provisional sales ("unter Vorbehalt" where the consignor agrees upon a price lower than the reserve). These sales are a feast for dealers who sell to retailers -- B. Andonian of New York, Paul Nels of London, Hans Elmby of Denmark, and George O'Bannon of Arizona were among the rug dealers guild -- and for some indefatigable collectors laying in wait for a bargain. Recession in Germany had come to its peak in the second half of 1993, and apparently many private buyers remained reluctant of open their wallets.
Like Meissen porcelain, stable as a kind of art currency, Karachoph rugs, made by the thousands since the mid 19th century, still are attractive if design and color scheme resemble what the rug gurus have outlined as ideal. A Karachoph, Lot 31, 223x171cm, dated 1863 A.D., found a new owner at £11,000 (£7,000-10,000). Though very similar to page 90 of R. Benardout's Caucasian Rugs, horror vacui had led the weaver to fill all free space with squares and hooks, making the rug look less archaic.
The other Caucasian rugs were what we are used to seeing and have come to expect of a selective auction house. Lot 73 was an impressive Yomud main carpet, circa 1800, cut and reduced in length and width to 247x142cm, with 3x8 guls. What it once might have looked like can be seen in Turkmen, plate 67, which has 4x9 guls. Both carpets excel in their naturalistic drawing of flowering plants in both end panels. Despite its rather battered lower section, Lot 73 sold for £3,500 (£1,500-2,500).
Noteworthy from an art historical point of view was Lot 81, a Kashgar silk and metal thread East Turkestan rug, 118x117cm, covered by a network of red and ivory flowers of Mughal millefleurs influence. It was knocked down at £15,500, a little above the lower estimate.
All the decorative Persian and Aubusson carpets sold mostly within their estimate and contributed to Sotheby's financial success. A Safavid silk and silver thread kilim, circa 1600, from Kashan, 214x110cm, one of a group of about 40 known pieces (discussed by Pope, Survey, vol. III, pp. 2401-2406), failed to sell at an estimate of £60,000-90,000. Almost all Ziegler and Aubusson carpets offered found new homes.
The second highest price of the day was paid for an Agra carpet, 445x434cm, Lot 183, at £56,000 (£20,000-30,000). A late 18th century Garden Carpet from Northwest Persia, 846x259cm, Lot 218, with red waterways, once the property of the Kevorkian Foundation, made £65,000 (£30,000-50,000).
Among the 362 lots, two outstanding prices were fetched by two outstanding pieces. Lot 105, a circa 1580 gouache heightened with gold on buff paper, 15.1x8.5cm, depicting a young archer, shot upwards from its estimate of £6,000-8,000 to £34,000. The real surprise was Lot 293, a figural sculpture of an Islamic lion, probably from southern Spain from the 11th-12th century, its provenance being still open. The refer department animal, whose lower legs were missing and replaced, now looked like "Puss in Boots." The beast was captured for £2.2 million.
Two days later, October 21, Christie's offered a fine selection of antique Turkish rugs, but bidder response was tepid. Lot 412, a 17th century coupled column Transylvanian prayer rug, 175x107cm, with an unusual narrow field and similar to the Gorzi-carpet (Gantzhorn pl. 680), sold for £7,000 (£8,000-12,000). A small medallion Ushak (double-niche) rug did not reach its estimate of £30,000-40,000. Lot 419, almost identical to Kirchheim's Orient Stars Pl. 167, differing only in flowerheads around a stellar medallion, made £9,000 (£10,000-14,000). A silk and metal-thread Koum Kapi prayer rug, Lot 428, 142x102cm, with a "sultan's head" mihrab, went well above its £25,000-30,000 estimate, selling for £44,000. (Six weeks later, a very similar Koum Kapi rug, 205x135cm, dated 1915 A.D., fetched less than half that amount at an auction in Cologne, Germany.)
All the Caucasian rugs were woven around the turn of the century and remained within the catalog's estimate range or failed to sell. Lot 467, a rare Shahsavan pile rug of kilim design (see Eskenazi, Tappeto Orientale, pl. 85), with excellent colors and design but partly worn to the foundation and cut in width, 317x152, must have found a happy new owner for £1,800 (£2,000-3,000). With a little restoration, it will be wonderful.
There are so many good Qashqa'i Millefleurs prayer rugs on the market that it isn't surprising that, with estimates of £18,000-25,000, Lot 497, drew no response. On the other hand, a really fine and rare Khamseh carpet, Lot 499, 373x188cm, the field crammed with human figures, animals and small floral motifs, altogether probably scenes from various fairy tales, sold at the lower estimate of £15,000.
A Safavid Vase Carpet, Lot 520, late 17th century (£30,000-40,000), drew no determined bidders.
Of 191 lots in this sale, only 50 percent were sold.
Christie's sale of decorative rugs and carpets on November 11 had no particular attractions for collectors among its 142 lots, of which 55 percent were sold.
A 19th century Chinese kesi of Happy Boys, Lot 151, 120x70cm, made sfr 1,500 (800-1000). Kilims and rugs were of average quality and, as Rudolf Mangisch had told us, sold well.
Three complete Shahsavan double bags from the Tanavoli Shahsavan book were sold. Lot 248, Tanavoli no. 229, Mianeh-Bidjar area, a type much published, sold for sfr 2,400 (1,500-2,000). Lot 249, Tanavoli no. 183, Mianeh-Hashtrud area, 2x3 Memling guls in reverse sumakh technique, fetched sfr 3,000 (1,500-2,000). Lot 250, Bidjar area, Tanavoli no. 176, went for sfr 2,200 (1,500-2,000). A Mianeh-Hashtrud reverse sumakh double bag, Lot 247, very similar to Tanavoli no. 184, sold for sfr 2,400 (1,500-2,000).
Mafrash sumakhs with a dark blue field and pairs of forked leafs with two medallions surrounded by striped and carnation borders are said to originate from the southeast Caucasus or the Kuba area. A piece almost identical to the one advertised by M. Madayan, Zurich, (Hali 52, p. 66) was sold for sfr 10,000 (12,000-14,000).
For the May 7th, 1994, auction, Mangisch did not publish an illustrated catalog. An announcement card displayed the Kazak exhibited in San Francisco at ICOC 1990 (Eiland, Pacific Collections, pl. 178), which reappeared on the block in Zurich, after having gone via Wiesbaden to a gallery in Stuttgart. Why hadn't such an unusual, fine Kazak found a home in Europe in the last three years? The piece sold in Zürich.
Of the rug sales, Far Eastern carpets were offered at the beginning, and the auction's first fight -- between the telephone and a private collector in the room -- broke out over Lot 42, 408x93cm, a multiple niche Khotan saph, each of its seven panels differently colored. The phone won it at DM 25,000 (12,500). The Chinese carpets were sold above the estimate.
A great 18th century Yarkand, Lot 47, 357x195cm, featuring three oval blue medallions on a red ground with a wide, yellow/red reciprocal border as in the Meyer-Mueller-Halevim carpet, but worn in the lower part, broke off bidding at DM 50,000 below reserve and estimate of DM 70,000.
Another Yarkand, Lot 48, 340x178cm, densely packed with Herati design type and with a "Yun Tsai T'ou" border sold to the saph phone buyer for DM 28,000 (36,000).
Here a remarkable process had already begun which could be traced to the Big Senmurv domiciled in the city of Munich. What makes us sure of the trace was not its presence in the sale room -- the giant bird never appears at a German auction. The mystique of numbers helped us to trace its path. Behind the very mundane i.d. number 6089 and the zip code of Theatiner Street 80333 in Munich are hidden the holy digits 2 and 3, which transform 6089 into: 2 by 3, (3 power 0 minus 2 power 0), 2 power 3, 3 power 3; 80333 reads: 2 power 3, 0 as above and as a closing code 3 times a 3 in line. No doubt, 2 represents the Zoroastrian Ahura Mazda and Ahriman, while 3 stands for the trinity (Mr. Gantzhorn, please forgive us): bird, snake and drake. So, the Giant Bird was controlling the sale room, picking off the best lots far above the sometimes rather low estimates, reminding us, once again, where the real emperor resides.
The first pick was Lot 45, a central medallion and rice grain patterned Chinese carpet, 273x173cm, which the senmurv carried away for DM 8,000 (1,900). An early 19th century Kula, Lot 65, 164x139cm, with high pile, red medallion and two golden wings (see Bausback 1978, p. 133), fell prey to the senmurv at DM 17,000 (7,600), still a steal.
Other Anatolian pieces were not so lucky. A Konya runner, Lot 76, 290x102cm, displayed great colors -- red, light blue and green octagons (see Orient Stars pl. 128 and 129 or Brüggemann/Böhmer pl. 11) -- and sold at its estimate of DM 15,500.
Anatolian kilims did not do much better, but we should mention the Afyon-Yüncü kilim, Lot 85, 335x198cm, (Brüggemann/Böhmer, pl. 21) in very good condition which sold to the telephone at the estimate of DM 28,000. Good 19th century folk art in this section was displayed in Lot 80, a Star-Zili flatweave, 210x156cm, similar to Herrmann SOT II, pl. 9, which a German collector in the room got at the estimate of DM 3,800. Good authentic pieces don't necessarily soar sky high, as P. Nels quickly realized when a Bergama Kosak Zili in excellent condition, Lot 81, 247x174cm, (see Brüggemann 1993, pl.94) was knocked down for half its estimate.
More than 40 Caucasian lots were offered, mostly good late 19th century pieces. A Zeijwa rug with only one medallion flanked by cartouches, Lot 93, 150x104, similar to Markarian Album pl. 70 but with a light blue and rose quasi-reciprocal border contrasting the sunburst-like medallion on a dark brown field. The hammer fell at the estimate of DM 11,000.
The white ground Kazak, Lot 96, 127x109cm, (Illustration 1), has many sisters, most of them worn low but still high priced because they are thought to be early. This Kazak with its blue and red "sheep skin" Lori Pambak-like medallion made DM 15,000 (17,500).
The classic 19th century East Caucasian rug, Lot 97, 312x129cm, published by Eder pl. 200 and Bausback 1978, pl. 265, with excellent colors and drawing, sold for only DM 10,000 (15,000), probably because of its low pile and small restorations in the yellow field.
The top lot was No. 99, a 17th (we think 18th) century red ground Dragon Carpet, 483x218cm, with a trellis of white and blue crossing bands between four yellow dragons (see also Balpinar/Hirsch 1982, pl. 74). The refer department carpet was finally sold to the telephone for DM 145,000. We noted that the senmurv was not involved. When will we encounter a complete Dragon carpet in a sale room again? The magic number on the telephone took a deep breath when a mid 19th century Karaphoph with a green field and brick red leaf and calyx border showed up. Despite its worn areas and damages (restorers welcome), the price quadrupled up to DM 12,000. Still a good pick.
Why did the Giant Bird catch Lot 115, a densely woven Shirvan with concatenated lozenges, 287x134cm, resembling Grote-Hasenbalg II pl. 36? It has a classic design and went cheap for DM 7,500 (4,500). A nice bargain.
Following suit Lot 119, 385x117cm, was really something. The rare, white ground Gendje with diagonally striped border and widely spaced rows of animals, flowerheads, and human figures is a wonderful collector's piece. The senmurv had to drop some more coins onto the table, exactly DM 11,000 (7,500), so that it could fly off to Munich.
Persia was represented by rugs and bags. A piled pair of the latter, diagonal stripes of dark blue and ivory (Lot 140, DM 1,300, twice the estimate), also made its way to Munich. The white ground Shahsavan Verneh, Lot 148, 170x170cm, seven stripes sewn together rendering a garden of flowers, animals and amulets, was a great buy at DM 1,800 (900) for a private collector from Berlin.
A white ground pictorial Malayer, Lot 156, 192x126cm, displayed a paradise of two big lions, deer, other quadrupeds, little birds amongst shrubs and trees, and a colorful peacock in the center. Whom can this icon have mesmerized? Yes, you guess it! The Big Bird bought it for DM 10,000 (3,600).
The Safavid Vase Carpet, Lot 158, 435x245cm, probably Kerman, late 17th century, did not find a buyer at an estimate of DM 48,000. The rare Baluch soffre, Lot 178, 112x61cm, was similar to Eiland's Pacific Collections pl. 103 as it had two long, beautifully elaborated flatwoven ends, an unusual main border pattern, and on its camel hair center field rows of long boteh. This jewel also flew to Munich for a ridiculous DM 7,500 (5,500).
Turkomans were represented by 23 lots and the phone was busier than the room. A rare, battered and backed Tekke ensi, Lot 186, 150x130cm, was bought by a Swiss dealer for DM 2,400 (1,900) and will require some months of restoration work. The Tauk Nuska Yomud main carpet, Lot 192, was formerly at a Bausback exhibition. Assumed to be from around 1800, its 244x171cm accommodated 3x10 guls openly spaced and highly abstract chemche minor guls; the main border bore a relation to the "boat" design, depicted in Jourdan 1989, pl. 110. It was an excellent example of its type and, despite its low pile, went for DM 26,000 (19,000) to a phone bidder.
In the textile section ikat velvet, ikat silks, and suzanis offered a broad choice. Our senmurv picked four of the best of them: Lot 217, 220x150cm, DM 5,000 (1,600) and Lot 218, 205x140cm, DM 2,800 (1,300), both early 20th century Uzbek ikats with oval disks of five colors; a silk embroidered Djoi-Namaz Uzbek with an unusual shaped mihrab, Lot 236, 220x190cm, which was knocked down at DM 6,000 (2,500); and finally an early 19th century Tashkent suzani, Lot 236, 220x190, with 10 red rosettes radiating around a single central one on beige cotton, which climbed to DM 9,000 (2,500).
For DM 18,000 (9,000), a London dealer bought a Flemish tapestry, Lot 239, 282x425cm, 18th century, depicting birds in a fantastic landscape.
The last lot, No. 248, was a knotted German Art Nouveau carpet, 395x300cm, in a beige allover tone with wavelike branches and yellow blossoms instead of a border surrounding medallion-like wreaths and flowers. It sold to the Great Bird of Munich at the estimate for DM 7,000.
Why have we so extensively described this auction and Herrmann's purchases in particular? First, our review shows that, a few years after its restart by Mr. Uwe Jourdan, Nagel has fully caught up, a fact substantiated by the presence of many dealers from abroad. Second, Herrmann has singlehandedly succeeded in shaping and guiding the taste of the international rug community. It isn't his theory which assumes a common source for all rug ornaments which has made him famous but the consistent level of quality of the rugs and carpets he has displayed during the past 14 years. Among many other achievements, Mr. Herrmann, has shown collectors at every stage of development that they can learn to shape their own taste, avoid mistakes, look at technical data of a rug in question, and be convinced that rug buying and assembling a collection is not necessarily dependent upon being related to an oil sheik. We all owe him much.
For many lots we have made reference to similar pieces in the literature. As it is not possible to reproduce all the rugs in color, the engaged reader not only may imagine what we report but also may refer to the literature to more closely follow the rug under discussion.
Caucasian rugs from the 19th century were again strong in both their number and prices. An abrashed, green ground Kazak with five mighty Memling guls within octagons, Lot 37, 294x140cm, sold for DM 14,000 (23,500). A Baku rug, Lot 48, 258x111cm, similar to Eskenazi's no. 131 in Tapetto Orientale, went for DM 16,000 (23,000). Small Lori-Pambaks with an empty (Met-Hane) field are rare and, therefore, Lot 59, 186x97cm, exceeded its estimate of DM 17,500, selling to the room for DM 22,000.
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Although many commission bids were successful in this sale, the extraordinary Lot 73, a Borjalou Kazak (Illustration 2), 225x172cm, in good condition after restoration, also went to the room for DM 20,000 (25,000).
The proportions of the shield in Shield-Kazak, Lot 74, 222x194cm, rendered it among the most pleasing of its type. It was sold on the phone for DM 27,000 (29,500). The Eagle-Gul main carpet, Lot 76, 221x168cm, is attributed to the Rautenstengel group III (Hamburg 1993 catalog no. 42) yet remained below its estimate at DM 48,000 (57,000).
The perfect ivory ground Seichur with two crossed bars, depicted on the front cover of the catalog, Lot 89, 149x96cm, is similar to Grote-Hasenbalg II, pl. 32; it sold to a phone bidder at DM 38,000 (34,500). The Eskenazi (Tapetto Orientale no. 255) Saryk ensi, Lot 103, 176x140cm, is one of the best of its kind and sold for DM 86,000 (65,000).
A Tekke main carpet, Lot 105, 245x182cm, published in Carpet Magic (p. 64), failed to sell (estimated DM 65,000). The extraordinary Tekke khalyk, Lot 106, 63x37x18cm (Illustration 3), because of its completely preserved, arrowhead-like multicolored fringes, was sold to the phone for DM 15,000 (12,500).
 | Illustration 3. Extraordinary Tekke khalyk, Lot 106, 63x37x18cm, with completely preserved chevron multicolored fringes. Sold by Rippon-Boswell for DM15,000 (12,500) |
Since Christie's sale, Fachralo Kazaks with three medallions draw great attention. This one, Lot 109, 290x135cm, published by Bausback 1982, p. 33, sold for DM 40,000 (47,000). The rare, red and blue striped Ushak kilim, published in Petsopoulos 1980 as pl. 65, also sold to the phone at the estimate for DM 30,000.
Another top lot was a four Lesghi star Daghestan rug of incredibly soft and lustrous wool, surely first half 19th century. (See Battilossi 1989 pl. 12 to get a sense of this rug.) This admirable work of folk art sold for DM 55,000 (42,000), again to the phone.
In the last quarter of any auction, attention is kept alive by anticipation of an upcoming super piece. At this sale, it was a small medallion Ushak, Lot 132, 178x114cm, mid 16th century (Illustration 4). Four of this type were sold in 1991 and 1992 by Rippon Boswell and Sotheby's New York. The new owner had to pay a hammer price of DM 180,000 ($130,000).
 | Illustration 4. superb small medallion Ushak, 178x114cm, mid 16th century, Rippon-Boswell's Lot 132. The new owner paid a hammer price of DM180,000 |
For the best of the remaining lots, the phone bidders had the last word. This was the case for a Senna kilim, Lot 142, 182x121, mid 19th century, with a blue mihrab filled with boteh rows and the mihrab arch with vertical stripes; it sold for DM 24,000 (22,000). A similar kilim sold at Christie's London in April, 1993 for £8,200. Surprisingly, a Sewan Kazak of the Tschebull Kazak type no. 29, with corroded brown but otherwise excellent colors, drawing and condition, made a poor DM 9,200 (9,800).
Regardless of the recession in Germany, which at the time of this sale seemed to be at its peak, this auction was a good sale with 165 pieces sold (69 percent).
The hand-knotted Irish Donegal carpet, Lot 14, 406x330cm, adapted to the European taste of Art Nouveau, was knocked down at £11,000 (£5,000-7000). Although most of the 62 rugs and carpets were decorative, some Caucasians from the turn of the century were offered. A fine example of a Borjalou rug (called Lambalo in the catalog), Lot 45, 236x157cm, with three pairs of characteristic octagons on a copper-red field and the contrasting reciprocal trefoil white/brown main border (see Tapetto Orientale no. 82), sold for £3,800 (£3,500-4,500).
There were many small tribal pieces. As they were not expensive, they quickly found new owners. The majority of the Persian and Caucasian carpets were 60-100 years of age and most had minor problems, be it quality of drawing or condition, which excluded them from the May sale.
If you are a collector of Coptic textiles, you would have had a chance to grab 18 good sizable fragments below estimate for about DM 1,000. We had seen these pieces at the G.O.B. sale of a rug dealer who has made a career in the music business.
Another good buy was Lot 37, two Qashqa'i bag faces with rows of very rare forked ornaments, which sold to a collector for DM 4,200 (5,800).
held their spring sales, Phillips on April 26, Sotheby's and Bonham's on April 27, and Christie's one day later.
The first lot had some highly priced predecessors in mint condition at Sotheby's and Rippon Boswell some time ago. This small Kuba/Shirvan rug, 122x97cm, low in pile and with some damage, had a medium blue field and stylized shields and rosettes in a latticework. It made more than 10 times its lower estimate when the hammer went down at £6,500.
Green ground Karachophs with yellow leaf/calyx border and red/white medachyl guard stripes must have been a standard model. Lot 4, 231x175cm, (£8,000-10,000) was an example, but it didn't sell. Also of the standard design was the three-medallion Lori-Pambak, Lot 5, 220x170, which sold for £4,800 (£4,000-6,000).
Something special was a mid-19th century handknotted English carpet, Wilton or Wilton-style, Lot 51, 709x409cm. In stronger colors than those associated with Aubussons and now in high style, it sold for £42,000 (£20,000-25,000).
Six tapestries from Aubusson, Tournai, Brussels and England, made over a span of 400 years, were offered. The Tournai tapestry, circa 1520, Lot 53, 260x377cm, depicted riders in a fantastic woodland with columns and arcades. The Metropolitan Museum has a related example. It more than tripled its lower estimate, selling for £38,000. Lot 55, a 16th century Brussels tapestry with a richly illustrated wide border, 345x247cm, tells a story from classical antiquity, but it failed to sell (£20,000-25,000). The late 17th century English tapestry, probably Mortlake, represents August among an original series of "months"; estimated £30,000-40,000, Lot 56, 253x269cm, also did not find a buyer.
A William Morris rug, Lot 527, 282x125cm, with a deep indigo abrashed field of scrolling vines enclosed by a pink border, went up to £10,000 (£2,000-3,000).
A Kaitag embroidery did not sell. A pair of overly symmetrical Ottoman voided velvet and metal thread yastiks, 17th century, Lot 11, 129x66, made £18,000 (£20,000-30,000). Only one of three Safavid silk brocades sold. A Mughal voided velvet floorspread, attributed to the first half of the 17th century, Lot 40, 240x165cm, (see Pope vol. 11, p. 1055) went up to £45,000 (£20,000-30,000).
Of the more than 30 antique Caucasisan rugs, half found buyers. The best was Lot 42, a Kazak, 285x133, with pairs of zoomorphic figures flanking an abstract tree on a red field enclosed by a white ground, and a well drawn crab border. It exceeded its estimate (£8,500-10,000), selling for £12,000.
Not as great as the Rippon Boswell piece but still a top lot was 70, a small hexagonal medallion Ushak, second half 16th century, (see Ballard no. 72), 149x106, which sold for £28,000 (£30,000-50,000).
The remaining lots were Persian rugs and carpets, mostly decorative. One very collectible exception was Lot 150, a 248x184cm fragment of an early 18th century Northwest Persian carpet of the vase/strapwork design (for a parallel see Dimand/Mailey fig. 119). It more than doubled its lower estimate and sold for £32,000.
Sixty percent of the 217 lots sold at this auction.
The large Medallion Ushak, Lot 415, 527x256cm, worn and repaired, did not find interest at a lower estimate of £14,000. The silk Koum Kapi prayer rug, Lot 419, 211x137cm, from the same cartoon as Lot 428 of the October 1993 sale, with no metal threads and an early signature of Zareh, went to a new owner for £32,000 (£35,000-45,000).
The large Pinwheel Kazak, Lot 436, 309x213cm, with A.H. 1312 (1895 A.D.) a more probable date, had other irregularities as well as a high estimate of £24,000-30,000 and remained unsold; while a rather late Pinwheel, Lot 454, 218x160cm, completely lacking small motifs in the field, was knocked down at £6,500 (£7,000-10,000).
A sleeper was a part silk, antique Baluch prayer rug with a tree-of-life in the camel field and long embroidered and polychrome striped kilim ends at each side, Lot 477, 160x79cm, in excellent condition. The bidding ended at £2,400 (£800-1,200).
The Cuenca rug, 17th century, Lot 487, 297x152cm, on a lemon-yellow field was a kind of Lotto design in blue, olive-green and ivory, a wider border with scrolling serrated vines. It sold for £5,000 (£5,000-7,000), while the European copy of an Alcaraz carpet, Lot 489, 283x188cm, bearing two large roundels with a tendency toward Art Nouveau design, did not sell.
Dr. Jon Thompson's fragmentary Mamluk carpet, Lot 490, 412x320cm, came close to its high estimate at £11,000 (£8,000-12,000).
The balance of the lots were Persian silk or pictorial rugs and decorative carpets.
Again the question can be raised: What's new, or better, what's antique and collectible? This evokes a series of conjectures: When does very old become antique? What is really collectible? Should one be concerned with the opinions of others? Is rug collecting an addiction (rug = drug)?
For me, it finally boils down to the belief that, besides enjoying myself and sharing an interest with close friends, as collectors we can preserve folk art for the future.
Besides, I like it.
