West Asian Folk Art

The source of carpet comes from the Mercer Collection Sotheby's 2000 (catalog cover). This Mamluk-Cairene carpet is known, curiously featuring some type of lattice was designed in th...

The design source of the rug comes from the possession of Endre Unger, which was sold at Sotheby’s in 1992. That rug with the central star was designed in the early 16th-century rug ...

The design source of the rug comes from the possession of Endre Unger, which was sold at Sotheby’s in 1992. That rug with the central star was designed in the early 16th-century rug ...

This is a rare antique Sewan Kazak Rug from the Sewan / Sevan region in the southwest Caucasia. This is another handsome example of the “Sewan” Ka...

Ancient Cypriot Bichrome Ware Amphora –  Cypro-Archaic, ca. 750-400 BC A beautifully preserved Large ancient Cypriot bichrome ware amphora dating to the Cypro-Archaic period (ca. 75...

This is an Antique Soumak ( Sumak, Sumac ) Kilim from the Caucasus region with a rare and beautiful color composition. Of the four countries that make up the Caucasus, Azerbaijan produces the most kilims, and the land has a long history of weaving. The nomadic tribes wove kilims and carpets as well as a wide range of storage bags and sacks, such as saffrash, khurgin and chula, and donkey and horse trappings. Smaller bags for salt, utensils, and other items are also common. Not only are the Azerbaijani weavers prolific, but they also employ many techniques at the loom. These include slitweave- known locally by the word Kilim, warp-faced patterning (jajim), supplementary weft (zili), weft wrapping (popularly known as soumak), and extra weft wrapping (verneh). Furthermore, flatweaves are defined by regional names such as palas and shadda, so it is possible to ascribe a variety of weaving names to particular provenances as follows: soumaks are made in Kuba, palas, and kilims in Hajikabul, zili in Khizy, verneh and zili in Kazakh, shadda, verneh and zili in Barda, jajim in Agjabedi, and palas and kilims in Jabrail. Soumak weave is a technique in which weft threads are added to a plain weave fabric, and one or two warp threads are wound from the front to the back. The resulting Kilim is denser and firmer, giving it a unique feel and look. This technique is commonly used in the Caucasus region. Soumak kilims have a very beautiful contrast between orange that shines like the sun, deep purple-tinged indigo, and astringent dark red. You can also see the unevenly dyed abrage in this Soumak, which is like a magic carpet with an oriental atmosphere. Features of the Caucasian Kilim, such as the unique cosmic geometric floral pattern, are also found in this Soumak which has a bright look, but it also has a faded and textured feel, so it can be used in a good old atmosphere. The woven fabric is particularly solid, so it is recommended for use in a solid living room or under a dining table without moving or twisting. A nice Kilim under a long wooden dining table.

A charming, handmade blackware jug with incised decoration, iconic of early Bronze Age pottery production on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus before the invention of the potters wh...

Turkish Court Manufactury Rugs were woven in the Egyptian workshops founded by Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. Those carpets were woven in Egypt, following the paper cartoons pro...

This vintage Yahyali runner from the Kayseri region of Central Anatolia presents a bold and expressive example of Anatolian village weaving. The composition is defined by a vertical ...

A striking and well-preserved pedestal-footed bowl, with vibrant painted decoration typical of early pottery production on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. Flourishing during the ...

Antique East Anatolian long runner rug. A great antique village rug from Eastern Turkey with considerable age and a highly unusual and intriguing design. The pile of the rug is knotted in angora (mohair), rather than wool, another unusual feature. Fantastic color palette with superb natural dyes. A top-flight collectible item that should be of interest even for the seasoned connoisseurs. Well preserved and complete after minimal professional repairs. As a valuable antique...

This is Central Anatolian Antique Kilim, from the Isparta region with a rare and beautiful color composition. This highly collectible antique kilim has wonderful special colors and ...

An exceptionally decorative Persian Khatam chess set, handcrafted with intricate geometric micro-mosaic marquetry and accompanied by a complete collection of sculptural figural metal...

The front section from a colossal Archaic Cypriot sculpture, preserving the sweeping eyes and characteristic smile of Cypro-Archaic art. Discovered by Luigi Palma di Cesnola (1832...

A striking bichrome ware juglet with a geometric design and concentric circles in black and red slip, iconic of the early Bronze Age pottery production on the Mediterranean island of...

There has long been a fascination with the symbolism of the dragon and its depiction in carpet weavings. The design of ‘Dragon’ carpets consists of a field pattern composed of different colored overlaid lattices formed of pointed, serrated leaves creating intersecting lozenges, which alternately contain palmettes and are flanked by confronting stylized dragons, birds, or animal figures. The most archaic of the ‘Dragon’ carpets include dragon motifs with birds and running animals relatively naturalistically drawn, which stand either alone or in confronting pairs facing a tree. The Graf carpet, originally found in a Damascene mosque, now in the Islamiches Museum, Berlin, is considered to be the oldest example of this type, see Serare Yetkin, Early Caucasian Carpets in Turkey, Vol. II, London, 1978, p.8, fig.118. Yetkin defines four types of ‘Dragon’ carpet: ‘Archaic’, ‘Four-Dragon’, ‘Dragon-and-Phoenix’ and as a further combined development of the latter, the ‘Two-Dragon’ style, of which the present carpet falls into the ‘Dragon-and-Phoenix group along with other examples, some of which include two fragments, one in the Museum fur Kunst und Gerwerbe, Hamburg; another in the Christian Museum, Esztergom, Hungary, a complete carpet in the Kier collection; an incomplete example in the Textile Museum, Washington, D.C; the ‘Cassirer’ Dragon carpet in the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection, Lugano; the Ali Pasa Mosque carpet in Tokat, and a further example in the Vakiflar Hali Museum, Istanbul (S. Yetkin, op. cit. pp.16-20). It has been suggested that the earliest examples of the Caucasian ‘Dragon’ carpets...

This is Central Anatolian Antique Kilim from the Konya - Obruk region with a rare and beautiful color composition. This highly collectible antique kilim has a wonderful special col...

This is a Central Anatolian Old Kilim from the Konya region with a rare and beautiful color composition. As early as the 13th century Marco Polo noted, in his account of his trave...

This is a South Anatolian Vintage / Semi-old Handwoven Runner Kilim from the town of Mut in Mersin Province, located in the Mediterranean region of Anatolia, Turkey. These kilims are...

This is an early Russian orthodox travelling Icon, hand made of bronze, which we date to 18th Century or earlier. The bronze icon is cast with a main rectangular slightly curved shape with a smaller rectangular tab section above. The reverse has a hanging spigot cast into the top tab section. This piece has a mix of colours within the bronze with the high points being worn and shiny from wear and use. This antique bronze icon probably depicts Saint Nicholas as the central image with other figures ( children?) either side of the head, all within a border. There are other details on the icon including letters and numbers towards the top of the main rectangle. The tab section is also decorated. The reverse also carries decoration but is quite worn. Overall an early and very interesting Russian bronze Icon...

Large antique 19th century Turkish incense burner or fire pit with pierced brass and solid brass ornamentation. Museum quality Islamic collector metalwork piece footed incense censer...

Origin and Inspiration: The Mamlouk Rug is a contemporary masterpiece that draws its inspiration from the rich textile traditions of the Mamlouk Sultanate, which reigned over Egypt a...

The source of carpet comes from the book Arts & Crafts Carpets, by Malcolm Haslam, and David Black, 1991, fig.49. This Hammersmith carpet was designed by William Morris in 1882, in the United Kingdom. In 1887 English artist and bookbinder T.J. Cobden Sanderson, suggested that a new group be named the “Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society” As a result, he was the first to use the term “Art and Crafts” and also is credited with naming this new emerging movement. The Arts & Crafts movement was inspired by the degradation of product standards that resulted from the factory production age. The rise of machinery in manufacturing caused a noticeable decline in uniqueness and crafts. These anti-Industrial reformers promoted economic advancement and social change. They wanted to eliminate poor quality and “artificial” items from 19th century British society. They saw a plethora of uninteresting items on display at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and became inspired to launch a Campaign for originality and uniqueness. William Morris was an English designer, as well as an uplifting social activist and writer. Morris is credited with sparking the rebirth of textile arts and traditional means of production. In 1861, Morris and a small group of designers opened an incredibly fashionable design company that grew to be largely successful. Morris left behind works in many different mediums such as textiles, books, furniture, stained glass, and area rugs. But in the end, he is most remembered for the magnificent wallpapers that he designed. He got much of his inspiration from the natural world. Through his interior decor pieces, Morris set out to convert rooms or spaces into meadows with beautiful trees meandering, vines, and plants. This concept of taking something Industrial and man-made, and converting it into something natural is what William Morris meant when he once said: “-any decoration is futile… when it does not remind you of something beyond itself.” Morris was a huge commercial success and his works are some of the most sought-after pieces in the world of design and decor. He is also credited with almost single-handedly reviving the British textile arts as well as their methods of production. Morris was also severely critical of machine-made goods, exclaiming, “Today almost all wares that are made by civilized man are shabbily and pretentiously ugly.” Houses were filled “with tons and tons of unutterable rubbish,” which, he suggested, should be heaped onto a gigantic bonfire! “As a condition of life, production by machinery is altogether evil.” He masterminded one of the most well-known styles of Arts & Crafts, recognizable by its twisting and arching patterns and simple, elegant floral design prints. Although Morris believed that Persian carpets were the greatest ever made, he adopted the coarser Turkish (Ghiordes) knot for his hand knotted carpet manufacture. They were woven at a thickness of 25 knots to the square inch at that time. Morris & Co.’s rugs are reminiscent of Persian garden design carpets in that they are smartly styled depictions of English gardens. Donegal also started producing highly desirable Irish rugs in the late 19th century. The Donegal rugs were predominantly created by English architects C.F.A. Voysey and Gavin Morton. The handcrafted Voysey rugs are typically woven in England, Scotland, and Ireland. Voysey had a knack for using contrasting shapes to decorate flat monochromatic spaces. Dark outlines added a flair of drama to his signature pattern and Celtic rug...

A charming, handmade blackware jug with incised decoration, iconic of early Bronze Age pottery production on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus before the invention of the potters wh...

19th Century Antique Middle Eastern Asian traditional Turkish ottoman copper Dallah coffee pot. Antique Coffee pot hand-hammered and chased copper with r...

A vintage Turkish cicim mini kilim featuring an earth brown field with crisp geometric lattice motifs and richly textured raised embroidery. The composition is grounded and architect...

This is Eastern Anatolian Old Vintage Kilim from the Mut, Adana region with a rare and beautiful color composition. This highly collectible antique kilim has wonderful special colo...

19th century Middle Eastern traditional Arabian tinned copper and brass Dallah coffee pot. Coffee pot hand-hammered and chased copper with riveted brass...

A striking bichrome ware plate with concentric circles in black and red slip, iconic of the early Bronze Age pottery production on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The simple band...

The source of the rug comes from the book Oriental Rugs Volume 1 Caucasian, Ian Bennett, Oriental Textile Press, Aberdeen 1993, nr.332. This is a sp...

This is a South Anatolian Vintage / Semi-old Handwoven Kilim from the town of Mut in Mersin Province, located in the Mediterranean region of Anatolia, Turkey. These kilims are renown...

This is a Western Anatolian Modern 'New' Fine Kilim from the Manisa region with a rare and beautiful color composition. This kilim is woven according to traditional kilim technique...

This is a South Anatolian Vintage / Semi-old Handwoven Kilim from the town of Mut in Mersin Province, located in the Mediterranean region of Anatolia, Turkey. These kilims are renown...

This is Central Anatolian Vintage with a rare and beautiful color composition. It is a long and thin runner that reaches up to three meters. What is amaz...

Inspired by the magnificent carpets woven for the courts and palaces of Mamluk Cairo, this monumental carpet embodies one of the most sophisticated achievements of Islamic decorative...

A beautifully engaging, darkly nuanced Theotokos of Vladimir Russian icon (or possibly Our Lady of Kazan Icon/Mother of God of Kazan) tempera painting (and possibly gold leaf) on a wooden panel featuring the Madonna (Mother Mary) and infant child (a baby Jesus Christ) in her arms. Theotokos is the term for an Eastern icon...

Handcrafted antique 19th century copper Middle Eastern Islamic copper ewer with basin. The Turkish Ottoman style Arabian brass ewer with a rounded body, on short splayed foot, engrav...

Oushak rugs, also known as Ushak rugs, are woven in Western Turkey and have distinct designs, such as angular large-scale floral patterns. They usually evoke a calmness and peacefuln...

A vintage Turkish Anatolian carpet from the mid-20th century with cotton highlights.

West Anatolia is one of the largest weaving regions in Turkey. Since the 15th century, Turkish rugs have always been on top of the list for having fine Oriental rugs. size 17x23. ...

A charming terracotta flask with a vibrant orange-red burnished surface and black-painted geometric decoration, characteristic of pottery production in Cyprus during the Cypro-Archai...

A charming jug with a beautifully burnished red-brown slip and decoration in black pigment, iconic of early Iron Age pottery production on the island of Cyprus. Produced in large qua...

This is Central Anatolian Antique Kilim from the Konya region with a rare and beautiful color composition. This highly collectible antique kilim has wonderful special colors and tex...

Turkish carpet from Oushak with a combination of soft colors on a all-over design. Finely woven, having the most superb wool found in the mountains of Anatolia. Measures: 12' x 14'6".

This is a South Anatolian Vintage / Semi-old Handwoven Kilim from the town of Mut in Mersin Province, located in the Mediterranean region of Anatolia, Turkey. These kilims are renown...

This is an Antique & Unique Sarkoy (Sharkoy or Şarköy) Kilim rug from Western Turkey with a rare and beautiful color composition. Sarkoy kilims are very finely woven in slitweave in...

This Gabbeh rug, designed in the 1930s, is a type of handwoven rug that originated from Iran, specifically from the southwestern region known as Fars. The word "Gabbeh" itself means ...

This is an old Soumak ( Sumak, Sumac ) Kilim from the Caucasus region with a rare and beautiful color composition. Of the four countries that make up the Caucasus, Azerbaijan produces the most kilims, and the land has a long history of weaving. The nomadic tribes wove kilims and carpets as well as a wide range of storage bags and sacks, such as saffrash, khurgin and chula, and donkey and horse trappings. Smaller bags for salt, utensils, and other items are also common. Not only are the Azerbaijani weavers prolific, but they also employ many techniques at the loom. These include slitweave- known locally by the word kilim, warp-faced patterning (jajim), supplementary weft (zili), weft wrapping (popularly known as soumak), and extra weft wrapping (verneh). Furthermore, flatweaves are defined by regional names such as palas and shadda, so it is possible to ascribe a variety of weaving names to particular provenances as follows: soumaks are made in Kuba, palas, and kilims in Hajikabul, zili in Khizy, verneh and zili in Kazakh, shadda, verneh and zili in Barda, jajim in Agjabedi, and palas and kilims in Jabrail. Soumak weave is a technique in which weft threads are added to a plain weave fabric, and one or two warp threads are wound from the front to the back. The resulting kilim is denser and firmer, giving it a unique feel and look. This technique is commonly used in the Caucasus region. Soumak has a very beautiful contrast between orange that shines like the sun, deep purple-tinged indigo, and astringent dark red. You can also see the unevenly dyed abrage in this Soumak, which is like a magic carpet with an oriental atmosphere. Features of the Caucasian kilim, such as the unique cosmic geometric floral pattern, are also found in this Soumak which has a bright look, but it also has a faded and textured feel, so it can be used in a good old atmosphere. The woven fabric is particularly solid, so it is recommended for use in a solid living room or under a dining table without moving or twisting. A nice kilim under a long wooden dining table.

This is an antique Central Anatolian Kilim from the Yahyali region in Kayseri with a rare and beautiful color composition. The earliest recorded occupation of Kayseri dates back to ...

This is Central Anatolian Antique Kilim from the Konya region with a rare and beautiful color composition. This highly collectible antique kilim has wonderful special colors and tex...

This brilliant and large mosaic panel is composed of multicoloured tesserae on a cream ground, depicting the seated god Hermes. Dynamically rendered, he wears his winged cap, a toga...

This charming figure is iconic of the early, multicultural art of Cypro-Archaic Cyprus (c.750-480 BC). Crafted and placed in a sanctuary in lieu of the worshipper, it was a particula...

This is a repeat of large sweeping arabesques in muted colors adorning the midnight blue field rug designed in the early 20th century that originates from the Bidjar region in northw...

Caro invites you to think about chess in its simplest form. The squares on the board are removed; the game is played only with pieces and the mind. Visual guides are replaced by memo...

This rug has an interpreted design composed of a palmette lattice pattern taken from a part of the Mamluk rug, filling the field elegantly. These kinds of rugs have often been descri...

This is Western Anatolian Antique Kilim from the Aydin region with a rare and beautiful color composition. This highly collectible antique kilim has wonderful special colors and tex...

The source of the rug comes from the book Antique Rugs of Kurdistan A Historical Legacy of Woven Art, James D. Burns, 2002 nr.31. This blue background rug has a variation of masi awi...

This is a South Anatolian Vintage / Semi-old Handwoven Kilim from the town of Mut in Mersin Province, located in the Mediterranean region of Anatolia, Turkey. These kilims are renown...

Wonderfully charismatic and of imposing size, this ancient Roman mosaic depicts a deer with head erect and large antlers, galloping to the left mid-stride, with outstretched legs tha...

This is a South Anatolian Vintage / Semi-old Handwoven Kilim from the town of Mut in Mersin Province, located in the Mediterranean region of Anatolia, Turkey. These kilims are renown...