Baloch Zingiri Carpet (2251404)

Large Zingiri carpet (5'8" by 10'4").  Needs a bright room to do it justice.  In dimmer light it looks black but in bright light the pattern really comes out.

Turkoman Chuval (horse blanket) matched pair (K1515)

This is a matched set of Turkoman chuvals.  These are horse blankets woven by nomadic tribes of Turkmenistan and Northern Afghanistan.  These are in amazing shape, beautifully woven.  Approx 45 in by 32 in, they are slightly different sizes.

this is a view of the back

Flat weave, wonderful quality and condition

Turkoman Torba - matched set! (2251408)

This is a very rare matched set of Turkoman Torbas (bags).  These are woven a wedding gifts and typically are fastened to the walls of tents and yurts for storing items.  Normally these are eventually separated when they are sold.  This is the only matched set I have come across and they are in excellent shape.  These are 14 in by 42 in (not counting the fringe!)

Seena (260)

Seena, 80+ years old, 4' x 6'

dark side of rug

light side of rug

Baloch (1132)

Baluch carpet, 3.5' x 6'

dark side of carpet

light side of carpet

back side

Bokhara Palace Rug (1121407)

Bokhara palace size rug with a storied history.

This large carpet was once owned by Mohammed Daoud Khan, the first president of Afghanistan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Daoud_Khan   

When I bought this piece I was told by the merchant how he came to know, and eventually own, this amazing carpet.  When Daoud Khan was deposed in 1978 many people traveled to see his residence.  It was plundered as the citizens of Kabul were taken aback by the ostentatious wealth they saw.  My friend and his father made the trip from Kandahar to Kabul also to see Daoud Khan's place.

My friend (the rug merchant) was 12 when he first saw this carpet at Khan's.  Several years later, as he became more involved in the carpet trade, he found out that the rug he had seen at Khan's had also been plundered.  The man who took it was not a rug merchant and held onto this piece for many years.  My friend, now living in Islamabad, eventually convinced the owner of this amazing rug to part with it. 

It is now part of my collection.  There are a number of repairs.  These are well done as can be seen in the photo.  That should not be surprising given the carpet's history of surviving a coup and then being spirited away.  It is worn but in overall very good condition.  The extent of the repairs attest to the value past owners have placed on this piece.  It is unique, and quite old.

Large Anatolian (Turkish) Sivas Kilim (2211403)

Large Sivas kilim from the Anatolia region of Turkey.  This is an old kilim in fantastic shape.  65.5 in by 149 in and approximately 80 years old.  The colors are muted and beautiful.  It is a typical split carpet.  This means it is sewn together the length of the carpet at the center.  This is necessary as these were woven by nomadic tribes with limited loom sizes.  The looms they use need to be able to break down and fit on a camel or donkey.  But they need a kilim large enough to cover the footprint of their tent.  To accomplish this they weave the two halves of the rug separately and then sew them together when they are complete.

Kilims like this are no longer being manufactured.  And, many, if not most, have been cut apart and sewn into bags, cushion covers or other items in Europe.  Kilims and tribal rugs used to be unappreciated by collectors, and cutting up a wonderful kilim like this one was a common occurrence.

Old Persian (7208)

A lovely old Persian.  Well, but uniformly, worn. 4'x6'.  Currently in Hawaii