ANATOLIA, LATE 17TH CENTURY

The subtle colouring of this kilim and various elements of its design are similar to an early group of kilims in the Vakiflar Museum Istanbul that were gathered from the Ulu Mosque in Sivas in the sixteenth century. Different from nearly all other kilims of this period they may have been woven by Egyptian weavers in Egypt or in Anatolia, (Belkis Balpinar and Udo Hirsch, Carpets of the Vakiflar Museum Istanbul, Wesel, 1988, pp.278-288). Our rug is not as finely woven as that group but uses a bold contrasting palette of light and dark interlocking colours which is also employed on the end kilims as one of those from the Ulu Mosque, (Balpinar, op.cit., pl.113). Another closely related example with an overall repeat design was sold in these Rooms, 16 April 2007, lot 3 and one of larger proportions, was offered at Rippon Boswell, 25 May 2013, lot 46.