USHAK REGION, WEST ANATOLIA, LATE 17TH/EARLY 18TH CENTURY

The present lot is closely related to two rugs which combine a plain red field and classic hexagonal medallion of sixteenth century form with spandrels filled with an overall geometric design (E. Herrmann, Seltene Orientteppiche VIII, Munich, 1987, no.1, pp.18-19; formerly Sotheby's London, 16 April 1986, lot 428; and M. and V. Viale, Arazzi e Tappeti Antichi, Turin, 1948, pl.164b from the Bardini Museum, Florence, inv. no. 861). These latter two certainly pre-date the present rug, showing an intermediate stage in the development of the design from the classic sixteenth century Small Medallion Ushak type to the present example.

The Bardini rug, as well as showing an earlier version of the field, shows where the original border design of the present piece came from. It is a border design which, once it has been simplified to the present degree, more usually appears in a doubled form (F. Bausback, Antike Meisterstücke Orientalischer Knüpfkunst, Mannheim, 1975, pp.84-85; Rippon Boswell, Wiesbaden, 14 November 1992, lot 75; and J. McMullen, Islamic Carpets, New York, 1965, no.80, pp.256-7). The first of these rugs has a field design which is a later version of the 'Ghirlandaio' design while the latter two have designs which have concentric medallions converging on a central hexagonal medallion of sixteenth century derivation, although not of such a pure form as that seen in the present rug.