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Lot Essay
A very similar eight-niche saf is in the Museum of Islamic Art, Berlin (Friedrich Spuhler, Oriental Carpets in the Museum of Islamic Art, Berlin, London, 1988, no.135, pp.274-5). It is attributed in the catalogue to "Kashgar, 19th century". Another similar example is The Theodore Graf Saf, a silk and metal-thread East Turkestan saf with six much narrower niches and drawing that is visibly inferior to that on ours and the Berlin example, in the Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Vienna ('History of a Saf', Hali 31, July/August/September 1986, pp.53-54). The Graf saf was the subject of a lengthy monograph by Joseph Karabacek, Professor of Oriental Art History at Vienna University in 1881. Despite numerous cross-references he erroneously attributed it to 14th century Persia. Included in the Vienna Exhibition of 1891 it was later published by Werner Grote-Hasenbalg who commented that the saf was "not later in date than 1800", which is still widely considered as being correct. All three safs are woven with a piled silk design set upon a metal brocade ground of two different colours, the niches being more golden than the spandrels.
A closely related saf that was at one time with Meschoulam in Genoa, is tentatively attributed to Kashgar, (Murray L. Eiland Jr., 'East Turkestan Rugs Revisited', Hali 85, March/April 1996, fig.23. p.102) whilst a further very closely related 18th century silk example, once in the Kevorkian Collection, is published as Kashgar by Ulrich Schürmann, (Central Asian Rugs, Frankfurt, 1969, pl.70, p.146). Neither of those examples is quite as well drawn as the present lot.
The attribution of carpets within Xinjiang is one that has been heavily discussed but remains unclear. Many East Turkestan safs woven in silk and of floral decoration were assigned to Kashgar although most have a double wefted cotton foundation. The triple wefted structure of the present lot has been suggested as indicative of a Khotan origin (J.Taylor & P.Hoffmeister, 'Xinjiang Rugs', Hali 85, March/April 1996, pp.88-98). Murray L. Eiland Jr. however is of the opinion that there is little substantial evidence on which to base the attributon of a particular oasis to a specific type of rug. Although he believes that most East Turkestan carpets were woven in Khotan, he himself attributes a closely comparable saf to Kashgar (op.cit, fig.23, p.102).
There is a quirk in the drawing of the vine in the apex of one of the niches of this saf. The tendril is drawn in such a way that it looks very similar indeed to the word 'Allah'. Its placing and drawing mean that this is likely to have been intentional, an extremely rare feature to find in an East Turkestan saf.
A closely related saf that was at one time with Meschoulam in Genoa, is tentatively attributed to Kashgar, (Murray L. Eiland Jr., 'East Turkestan Rugs Revisited', Hali 85, March/April 1996, fig.23. p.102) whilst a further very closely related 18th century silk example, once in the Kevorkian Collection, is published as Kashgar by Ulrich Schürmann, (Central Asian Rugs, Frankfurt, 1969, pl.70, p.146). Neither of those examples is quite as well drawn as the present lot.
The attribution of carpets within Xinjiang is one that has been heavily discussed but remains unclear. Many East Turkestan safs woven in silk and of floral decoration were assigned to Kashgar although most have a double wefted cotton foundation. The triple wefted structure of the present lot has been suggested as indicative of a Khotan origin (J.Taylor & P.Hoffmeister, 'Xinjiang Rugs', Hali 85, March/April 1996, pp.88-98). Murray L. Eiland Jr. however is of the opinion that there is little substantial evidence on which to base the attributon of a particular oasis to a specific type of rug. Although he believes that most East Turkestan carpets were woven in Khotan, he himself attributes a closely comparable saf to Kashgar (op.cit, fig.23, p.102).
There is a quirk in the drawing of the vine in the apex of one of the niches of this saf. The tendril is drawn in such a way that it looks very similar indeed to the word 'Allah'. Its placing and drawing mean that this is likely to have been intentional, an extremely rare feature to find in an East Turkestan saf.