Blue Ground Group B Ghiordes Prayer Rug
I coveted this gorgeous Ghiordes prayer rug ever since I saw it grace the living room wall of Barbara Sedlin’s Park Avenue apartment, so when she offered her collection for sale I didn’t miss the opportunity to acquire it. A masterpiece in colour, design and texture, it’s a honourable representative of the Group B, which are distinguished by floral type borders such as the one here, a directional repeat pattern of a shrub containing polychrome carnations and tulips against an ivory background. All of the ivories here are in cotton, thus highlighting the decorative motifs, which appear as encrusted jewels. The empty indigo blue niche has great depth because of all its subtle gradations, inviting the eye to come further into its third dimension. A true meditation rug.
- Warp: wool, ivory
- Weft: wool and cotton, sometimes twisted together, ivory, 2 shots between knotted rows
- Knot: symmetrical, weaving direction is opposite to niche, no warp depression
- Knot count: 22H x 19V = 418 knots/square inch
- Selvages: flat, three sets of paired warps wrapped with ivory silk
- Ends: blue green weft-faced plain weave
- Colours: medium blue, dark blue, light blue, celadon green, red, coral pink, ivory (cotton), taupe, dark brown, soft green, soft maroon (11)
- Condition: very good, with original sides and ends and good pile overall