(High-Collectible-Plus) ("New Arrivals Gallery") Certain hues elicit tremendous excitement and curiosity because they are so seldom found in rug weaving, usually due to the expense and rarity of the dye stuffs. High-art Turkish rugs are much beloved for their use of these prestigious shades. In this spellbinding Melas, a very royal purple and a shimmering emerald green can be savored time and again. Brilliant cinnabar, luminous sapphire blue, and saffron-orange further animate this stellar color palette. According to weaving tradition, the borders are thought to surround and protect something precious in the center, such as a garden. Here, the weaver has magnified their importance by making them massive in proportion relative to the center field, thereby making the composition thoroughly captivating. Reciprocal palmettes on a purple ground in the outer main border offer stability to the design. In contrast, the inner main border suggests a lively sense of movement with its sinuous meandering vine delicately adorned with stylistic flower blossoms. In the elongated medallion, a slender column with delicate flowering sprouts anchors the center on a field of mesmerizing and masterfully abrashed emerald green. A periphery of dramatically contrasting hooks frames the emerald realm, uniquely drawn each time, conveying a very human touch while symbolizing a stream or running water, which is essential to the garden. Finally, liquid sapphire blue fills the niche at the top of the medallion, capturing the beauty of the deep blue sky, and is graced with Diamonds of Wealth in a range of sizes. The enthralling and rare color palette, the superb condition at 150 years, and its eye-catching design will make this evocative Melas of great interest to aficionados of Turkish woven folk art masterpieces.

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