KARAJA
Northwest Persian Antique Carpet

(Connoisseur-Caliber) This striking antique Persian carpet stems from the high mountain village of Karaja in Northwest Persian Azerbaijan, a locale that wove primarily area-size rugs and runners. A perfectly balanced, harmoniously multiplex grid of tribal medallion designs forms the basis of its pattern's aesthetic. Artfully drawn signature sunbursts and cruciform medallions are joined by novel jewel-shaped forms. Each is individually rendered with innumerable spontaneous improvisations that are "camouflaged" at first sight and great fun to discover. A gentle abrash or color striation on the fiery pomegranate field deftly adds a sense of movement and depth beneath the menagerie of petite blossoms and totemic motifs that embellish this striking piece. Naturally dyed tones of shimmering cobalt, dusky rose, vivid cerulean, and a host of well-integrated gradients of hue remind one of what can be achieved by a master color smith with relatively limited dye sources. 19th-century large room-size Karajas such as this are not often encountered. Happily, this superb folk artwork is augmented by the natural, velvety surface of unprocessed wool and heavy pile condition.

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