Antique Rug with Double Niche Design
The Sculptural Beauty of an Antique Double-Niche Rug
This antique rug boasts a striking double-niche design. A central emerald green element dominates the piece, featuring archaic zoomorphic motifs arranged around a star-filled octagon. This vibrant centerpiece contrasts beautifully with the coral red background.
A ‘double-keyhole’ reserve encases the central element, clearly representing a double-niche design. A dazzling array of border motifs frames the composition. The innermost border displays abstract patterns, closely resembling those in preceding examples.
This rug stands as a noble descendant of the classical, early Ottoman tradition. It exemplifies the ‘keyhole’ niche design, elevated by a particularly lively and rich color palette.
Key features:
- Double-niche design with ‘double-keyhole’ reserve
- Emerald green central element with zoomorphic motifs
- Star-filled octagon at the core
- Coral red background
- Multiple intricate border patterns
- Abstract innermost border
- Rooted in early Ottoman rug-making traditions
The rug’s quasi-sculptural quality and vivid colors create a captivating visual experience, blending ancient motifs with timeless elegance.
- Warp: wool, ivory
- Weft: wool, rust, 2 to 4 shots between knotted rows
- Knot: symmetrical, slight warp depression
- Knot count: 5H x 7V = 35 knots/square inch
- Selvages: flat, four sets of paired warps wrapped with original light blue wool
- Ends: top and bottom with original blue and red striped weft-faced plain-weave
- Colours: coral red, brick red, maroon, medium blue, dark green, mustard yellow, dark brown, graphite, ivory (9)
- Condition: very good, with medium to full pile