KARAJA
Northwest Persian Antique Rug

(Connoisseur-Caliber) The high mountains surrounding the fabled village of Karaja in Persian Azerbaijan provided the inspiration for this vigorous, distinctive weaving style that drew from both Caucasian and Northwest Persian sources. With its symmetrically balanced, finely drawn array of alternating single and paired mini-medallions and its deeply saturated, naturally dyed palette, this superb example gives full voice to a unique and very seldom seen aspect of Karaja design vocabulary. Each of the medallions is hand-drawn with subtle fluctuations of line. Those at the bottom are more “compressed” than those at the top, creating in the mind’s eye a dynamic sense of movement as though affected by the gravity of falling through the “space” of the midnight sapphire ground color. Wonderful “tribal” embellishments of sun wheels, cloudbands, and tiny sprouting boteh seeds occupy the interstitial spaces, with the most enigmatic forms aligning the vertical edges and found in the upper corners. Buoyant mid-range 19th-century color endows this piece with a charming, upbeat presence. Wonderful condition with lustrous heavy pile further enhances this rug's clarity and effortless appeal.

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