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Lot Essay
This previously-unpublished rug is the fourth member of a small group, which all share the same perplexing iconography. The first example to be published widely was selected by Parviz Tanavoli for his 'connoisseur's choice' in an early issue of HALI. He afforded it 'pride of place' as 'one of the strangest carpets I have ever seen' (HALI, 40, p.14). He saw it first in Tehran in the mid-1970s, and was told that it had been taken to Iran after the First World War by an Armenian family. A second example surfaced in a Spanish auction, and was sold in these Rooms, 24 October 2019, lot 262. A third example was with Oliver Hoare, before also being sold in these Rooms, 27 October 2022, lot 208 (HALI, 184, p.67). The present lot adds a fourth member to the group. Though they have surfaced in different places, so similar and unusual are they that it is highly likely they were commissioned together.
The structure of the carpet, with a blue weft and loose knot structure, is reminiscent of carpets produced in Yarkand in East Turkestan. Though pictorial rugs are uncommon in this region, some of the individual features of the iconography find parallels in aniconic rug designs. The colourful stripes of the tiger may be compared to the border of some large scale silk rugs, such as a Yarkand formerly in the collection of Davide Halevim, which sold in these Rooms, 27 April 2023, lot 264. The tiger's paws, meanwhile, resemble the eight-petalled flowers which appear in the border of a carpet published by Hans Bidder, Carpets from East Turkestan, Tubingen, 1964, plate II. Other features - such as the solid yellow line to either side of the snake border - recur on other carpets from the region, as seen on an example sold in these Rooms, 24 April 2024, lot 215. That example also displayed a large pomegranate tree in the field, often interpreted as a symbol of fertility, which is echoed in the small pomegranate bushes in the corners of each compartment on these enigmatic polyptychs.
The iconography is not easily associated with a particular location. Both tigers and dragons are considered auspicious animals in East Asian traditions, with the relationship between them being compared between yin and yang. They frequently appear together on Tibetan rugs such as an example published by Thomas Cole, Patterns of Life: the Art of Tibetan Rugs, New York, 2011, no.1, p.37). The standing figure appears to be in quasi-military uniform, and may represent a Russian soldier or merchant. Probably the most perplexing element of the rug is the cloven-hooved animal in the centre-right panel, which may represent a sheep or cow. Tanavoli suggests that the swollen belly may suggest that the animal is pregnant, adding another level of symbolic meaning to this already cryptic rug. The relationship between the animals is unclear, though the 2015 HALI article suggests that these rugs may have served as props for itinerant story tellers. The combination of Taoist symbols, Tsarist soldiers, and everyday livestock should not be considered surprising in a part of the world defined by the intermingling of cultures.
All the rugs in the group have the same ivory cartouche in the upper left corner, containing what has been interpreted as a date. What that date is, however, remains ambiguous. Tanavoli read it as 1210, which he interpreted as a date in the Hijri calendar, corresponding to 1795-6 AD. He himself pointed out that this would be surprising, given that it is written in Western Numerals, and the 19th-century appearance of the man's uniform. The second figure may therefore be interpreted as a 9, giving a date of 1910 by the Christian calendar. Given the provenance provided by Tanavoli, a third possibility is that it is the Armenian number six, corresponding with the year 1610 of the Armenian calendar, or 1760. Though the likelihood is that the most recent date is the correct one, the silk weaving tradition of East Turkestan extends well back into the 18th century and beyond. However, in spite of this long history, this group seems to remain unique in its form and design.
The structure of the carpet, with a blue weft and loose knot structure, is reminiscent of carpets produced in Yarkand in East Turkestan. Though pictorial rugs are uncommon in this region, some of the individual features of the iconography find parallels in aniconic rug designs. The colourful stripes of the tiger may be compared to the border of some large scale silk rugs, such as a Yarkand formerly in the collection of Davide Halevim, which sold in these Rooms, 27 April 2023, lot 264. The tiger's paws, meanwhile, resemble the eight-petalled flowers which appear in the border of a carpet published by Hans Bidder, Carpets from East Turkestan, Tubingen, 1964, plate II. Other features - such as the solid yellow line to either side of the snake border - recur on other carpets from the region, as seen on an example sold in these Rooms, 24 April 2024, lot 215. That example also displayed a large pomegranate tree in the field, often interpreted as a symbol of fertility, which is echoed in the small pomegranate bushes in the corners of each compartment on these enigmatic polyptychs.
The iconography is not easily associated with a particular location. Both tigers and dragons are considered auspicious animals in East Asian traditions, with the relationship between them being compared between yin and yang. They frequently appear together on Tibetan rugs such as an example published by Thomas Cole, Patterns of Life: the Art of Tibetan Rugs, New York, 2011, no.1, p.37). The standing figure appears to be in quasi-military uniform, and may represent a Russian soldier or merchant. Probably the most perplexing element of the rug is the cloven-hooved animal in the centre-right panel, which may represent a sheep or cow. Tanavoli suggests that the swollen belly may suggest that the animal is pregnant, adding another level of symbolic meaning to this already cryptic rug. The relationship between the animals is unclear, though the 2015 HALI article suggests that these rugs may have served as props for itinerant story tellers. The combination of Taoist symbols, Tsarist soldiers, and everyday livestock should not be considered surprising in a part of the world defined by the intermingling of cultures.
All the rugs in the group have the same ivory cartouche in the upper left corner, containing what has been interpreted as a date. What that date is, however, remains ambiguous. Tanavoli read it as 1210, which he interpreted as a date in the Hijri calendar, corresponding to 1795-6 AD. He himself pointed out that this would be surprising, given that it is written in Western Numerals, and the 19th-century appearance of the man's uniform. The second figure may therefore be interpreted as a 9, giving a date of 1910 by the Christian calendar. Given the provenance provided by Tanavoli, a third possibility is that it is the Armenian number six, corresponding with the year 1610 of the Armenian calendar, or 1760. Though the likelihood is that the most recent date is the correct one, the silk weaving tradition of East Turkestan extends well back into the 18th century and beyond. However, in spite of this long history, this group seems to remain unique in its form and design.