EAGLE KAZAK (Chelaberd Karabagh), Southern Central Caucasian
4' 10" x 8' 6" Late 19th Century Price: $22,500
(Connoisseur-Caliber)
Every comprehensive collection of antique Persian and tribal rugs must include a representative of the fabled Chelaberd Karabagh, also known colloquially as the instantly iconic Eagle Kazak. Woven by ethnic Armenians in the high Caucasus Mountains, here the ancestral Sunburst pattern creates a kaleidoscope of unrepressive color and dynamic design. Two glorious sunburst mandalas adorn the lower part of this rug. At the same time, one-third of another appears to be slowly slipping out of frame, creating a visually engaging sense of vertical movement. A wonderfully diverse miscellany of abstract floral forms shares the carnelian field with spontaneously placed animals and figures. An imaginative, carefree quality emanates from this high-mountain folk weaving where sudden changes in the inner border widths make room for marginal motifs, and the decision to introduce script in Old Armenian text in the upper right-hand corner was likely a deeply personal touch. At once iconic, stoic, and filled with animated energy, this fantastic Eagle Kazak has been retained in such superb condition that it is both readily functional and a Caucasian rug collector’s dream.