Transcaucasian (Kurdistan) Rug

This rug is believed to be one of the oldest and most important rugs in a museum collection in Connecticut, according to Joseph Namnoun, founder of J. Namnoun Oriental Rug Gallery, Hartford, Connecticut. It appeared in the 1909 inventory of the Pope household and was situated in the master bedroom as a hearth rug. It is probable that this carpet was heavily repaired before being purchased by American tourists, since many of the numerous restoration attempts appear to be well over 100 years old. Because of the very thin cotton warp threads and the refine weaving technique, it is believed that this rug was a commissioned piece by a wealthy client.

The design is commonly referred to as harshang, meaning crab. It is a semi-geometric, Persian interpretation of the Herat design. This version of the pattern was developed during the 18th century as weavers moved from the south and east areas of Persia to the north and west. The principal motifs are the slanting palmettes which appear to grow into four, or sometimes two, split palmettes. In this rug the pattern is visible in the gold and blue designs with red offshoots, or tendrils, on a pale green ground. The composition is also related to the Afshan pattern of scattered flowers and Karagshli rugs.

The most remarkable images visible in this rug, which serve further in determining place and date, are the small flowering trees in the corners. At one end they are seen in red and blue and at the other end in blue and gold. The field is exquisite in its simple and spacious placement of flaming palmettes and other intricate devices. The trefoil design in the border is inverse in red and blue. Some experts support the theory that this design is reminiscent of 9th-century Armenian church cupolas. The age of this carpet can be best appreciated tactilely. It has a softness and fragility that only comes from the passage of time.