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Lot Essay
Until recently, little was written or recorded of this fascinating group of silk Azerbaijan textiles that have been collected by a small number of appreciative collectors but which have rather dipped beneath the radar. There are relatively few examples in circulation, and even fewer in good condition. The recent publication, ‘Stars of the Caucasus’, London, 2017, compiled by a number of respected academics, attempts to unpick the variety, beauty and technical ability of these finely woven textiles.
Opinions have varied considerably on their dating but most consider them to have been woven after the fall of the Safavid dynasty towards the end of the 18th century but before the sharp decline in silk production, due to blighted mulberry trees in Gilan, in the middle of the 19th century, (Michael Franses, op.cit, Chapter 4, p.100).
Two different embroidery techniques were employed in Caucasian and Azerbaijan embroideries, the cross-stitch and a diagonal long stitch; ours uses the latter (Jennifer Wearden, "A Synthesis of Contrasts", Hali, vol.59, pp.102-111). Due to the nature of cross-stitch, the designs using that method often followed a geometric pattern of angular form, (Christie's, London, Battilossi Tappeti d'antiquariato, 11 February 1998, lot 81). With long-stitch however, softer and more fluid forms can be created as seen in the naturalistic representation of the birds and flowers in the present example. The same fluidity can be seen in an early 18th century example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, (inv. no.192-1989).
The vast majority of textile designs were imprinted onto a cotton foundation with the aid of a resin or non-fast dye but here the use of a black and white checked ground has been employed. This particular ground can be found on a small number of other published examples (E. Heinrich Kirchheim et al., Orient Stars, A Carpet Collection, Stuttgart and London, 1993, pp.68-69, pl.42; Ulrich Schurmann, Caucasian Rugs, Braunschweig, 1961, pp.350-1, pl.138, and one sold in these Rooms, 6 April 2006, lot 107). It would appear likely that this was to serve as an alternative source of guidance.
This prayer panel is one of those with the most curvilinear designs of very clear Safavid inspiration if not actual instruction. The drawing and in particular the proportions of the prayer arch are however very close to those of cuerda seca tile panels in Julfa, notably those in the Church of St. George, dating from 1619 (John Carswell, New Julfa - The Armenian Churches and other Buildings, Oxford, 1968, pl.20). The Church of the Holy Mother of God dated to 1613 also contains tile panels containing vases springing from cusped arabesques, and flanked by a variety of animal combat groups as well as floral sprays (John Carswell, op.cit, pl.26). The present embroidery appears to have been made very much following the same style, although how long it took these designs to filter through to the Caucasus is hard to say.
For a comparable example but with a yellow cartouche border with peacocks see ‘Stars of the Caucasus’, London, 2017, p.17, fig. 1.5. Another with an abrashed corn-flower blue border, sold in these Rooms, 25 October 2007, lot 56, and a similar example but with the addition of a decorative flowering vase at the lower end of the field, of which there is another similar in the Nasser D. Khalili collection, sold at Christie’s London, 6 October 2015, lot 101.
Opinions have varied considerably on their dating but most consider them to have been woven after the fall of the Safavid dynasty towards the end of the 18th century but before the sharp decline in silk production, due to blighted mulberry trees in Gilan, in the middle of the 19th century, (Michael Franses, op.cit, Chapter 4, p.100).
Two different embroidery techniques were employed in Caucasian and Azerbaijan embroideries, the cross-stitch and a diagonal long stitch; ours uses the latter (Jennifer Wearden, "A Synthesis of Contrasts", Hali, vol.59, pp.102-111). Due to the nature of cross-stitch, the designs using that method often followed a geometric pattern of angular form, (Christie's, London, Battilossi Tappeti d'antiquariato, 11 February 1998, lot 81). With long-stitch however, softer and more fluid forms can be created as seen in the naturalistic representation of the birds and flowers in the present example. The same fluidity can be seen in an early 18th century example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, (inv. no.192-1989).
The vast majority of textile designs were imprinted onto a cotton foundation with the aid of a resin or non-fast dye but here the use of a black and white checked ground has been employed. This particular ground can be found on a small number of other published examples (E. Heinrich Kirchheim et al., Orient Stars, A Carpet Collection, Stuttgart and London, 1993, pp.68-69, pl.42; Ulrich Schurmann, Caucasian Rugs, Braunschweig, 1961, pp.350-1, pl.138, and one sold in these Rooms, 6 April 2006, lot 107). It would appear likely that this was to serve as an alternative source of guidance.
This prayer panel is one of those with the most curvilinear designs of very clear Safavid inspiration if not actual instruction. The drawing and in particular the proportions of the prayer arch are however very close to those of cuerda seca tile panels in Julfa, notably those in the Church of St. George, dating from 1619 (John Carswell, New Julfa - The Armenian Churches and other Buildings, Oxford, 1968, pl.20). The Church of the Holy Mother of God dated to 1613 also contains tile panels containing vases springing from cusped arabesques, and flanked by a variety of animal combat groups as well as floral sprays (John Carswell, op.cit, pl.26). The present embroidery appears to have been made very much following the same style, although how long it took these designs to filter through to the Caucasus is hard to say.
For a comparable example but with a yellow cartouche border with peacocks see ‘Stars of the Caucasus’, London, 2017, p.17, fig. 1.5. Another with an abrashed corn-flower blue border, sold in these Rooms, 25 October 2007, lot 56, and a similar example but with the addition of a decorative flowering vase at the lower end of the field, of which there is another similar in the Nasser D. Khalili collection, sold at Christie’s London, 6 October 2015, lot 101.