CHAJLI SHIRVAN
Southeast Caucasian (SOLD)

(High-Collectible) ("Best-of-its-Type Sold in 2020”) Chajli rugs were definitely popular among 19th century Europeans, as they were sometimes captured in paintings and photographs interiors of that time. In this singular, early example, the presence of four rather than three medallions, their octagonal shape, the wide palette of colors, the expert, relentless recombining of those tonalities, and the constant small alterations in every inch of this dazzling piece all place it within the early artistic milieu of that region. An intricately woven menagerie of bird and animal forms is scattered on the indigo base amidst each of the over-scale hexagons. Alternating in tones of cream and rust red, the powerful medallions are dedicated to a specific motif, kirkbudak, presenting animal heads facing inward to a central pillar, a motif shared since the 15th century by tribal peoples from Turkey to Turkmenistan. Learn About This Rug Type