CAUCASIAN GUBPA SHIRVAN
Southeast Caucasian Antique Rug

("One of “60 Best-of-Their-Type Rugs Sold in 2023") Area rugs and a very limited supply of antique runners woven in the Shirvan district are the most finely knotted and sophisticated antique pieces of the Caucasus region. The term, “Gubpa”, refers to a specific design style which used a series of stacked diamond medallions, each end culminating in a fanciful, deeply serrated pendant. Here, these striking “bookend” medallions are uniquely elongated instead of the more typical rectangular shape and are distinctly reminiscent of the occasionally seen dragon or serpentine symbols. Each of the three main diamonds is filled with finely etched minuscule jewels, crosses, latch hooks and stars. The royal blue field contains an amazing gamut of totemic motifs including gazelle, “S” designs, weaver’s combs, and eight-pointed “Stars of Wisdom”. The overall tonal beauty of this piece is one of a very subdued color palette in earth tones, muted reds, and quiet indigo. A series of “sawtooth” diamonds edge the perimeter of the field. The maize primary border is distinctive in that the vertical sections are much wider than the horizontal sections. The vertical borders feature what is typically referred to as the “Leaf and Chalice”, rendered here in colorful diagonal leaves interspersed with tuning fork-like motifs with “candy cane” striping.

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