Bessarabian Folk Art

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...

A rare armenian Rug depicting 2 Komodo Dragons on a pink fuchsia field Measures: 5'2'' x 9'4''.

The kilims known as 'Bessarabian' were woven in the Russian regions of Ukraine and Moldovia. Intended to satisfy the demands of the Russian aristocracy at a time when continental int...

Unique Marasali prayer rug attributed to the Marasali group, this prayer rug from the Shirvan region has a brilliant golden-yellow field and a diam...

Very large scandinavian rug from the 60s. Flat weaving technique (rillakan), wool on linen. Traditional geometrical patterns in pink, white and ...

Beautiful antique Bessarabian Kilim rug, country of origin: Romania, date circa mid-19th century. Size: 9 ft. x 12 ft. (2.74 m x 3.66 m) This sublimely beautiful antique rug...

An antique Ukrainian needlepoint carpet from the second quarter of the 20th century. A medallion of elegant floral blossoms sits atop a brown minimalistic background confined by a gr...

USSR, circa 1830 Handwoven.

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.

This is a large, Caucasian Old Kilim from the Kuba region with a red background and beautiful color composition. This Kilim is from Kuba, a city in Azerbaijan in the Caucasus regi...

An antique Bessarabian flat-woven kilim from the Balkan provinces in excellent, original condition measuring 9' 3" x 6' 1".

This traditional hand-woven Romanian Bessarabian rug has a shaded dark chocolate overall field with four elegant tonal floral vases radiating angled rosettes and delicate leaves, in ...