1880s Russian and Scandinavian Rugs

Antique Bessarabian Rugs / Kilims in both pile and tapestry weaving technique are some of the more beautiful carpets to have been produced in Europe. Many of the Bessarabian Kilims w...

Very unusual design, Kazak rugs are among the most sought after Caucasian rugs. This Kazak is a great example of a 19th century collectible piece. Measures: 3'3" x 6'6".

Salor rug, floor covering handmade by the Salor Turkmen of Turkmenistan. Most consistent in design are the main carpets, with a quartered gul (motif) showing...

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

73274, Vintage Turkmen Rug with Modern Tribal Style, Tekke Accent Rug, Turkoman Rug. This hand knotted wool vintage Turkmen rug features three columns of Tekke güls with secondary st...

Pretty vintage small Turkmen Baluch rug with beautiful tribal design and nice colours, entirely hand knotted with wool on wool foundation Small wears ✨✨✨ "Experience the epitome of...

This handsome Kazak rug features a double large, bold, dominating geometric pattern with a smaller patterned within. The detailed borders and backdrop give it an edge that differenti...

73316, antique Tekke Yomud Yomut Saryk Chuval rug Bag Face. This antique Tekke Yomud Chuval rug bagface features nine large Tschowal güls of the Kizilayak Turk...

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...

78977 Late 19th Century Antique Caucasian Kazak Prayer Rug, 03'04 x 03'10. This hand-knotted wool antique Caucasian Kazak Prayer rug from the 1880s transports us to a time when craftsmanship and spirituality were interwoven into everyday life. With its rich blue field, adorned with a scattering of vibrant eight-pointed stars, this Kazak rug evokes the night sky, offering both beauty and deep symbolic meaning. The stars, representing happiness, shine brightly across the central field, their eight points embodying the "Star of Wisdom," a symbol of man’s potential to gain understanding through life's challenges. The Caucasus tribespeople lived an elemental life, believing that wisdom, earned through hard experiences, was the greatest possession one could obtain. At the heart of the design lies a distinctive mihrab, or prayer niche, providing a directional layout for worship. This sacred space is filled with esoteric tribal motifs, each with protective and spiritual significance. The protection amulet woven into the mihrab ward off malevolent spirits, while the cross motif, with its intersecting vertical and horizontal lines, divides the evil eye’s power into four pieces, diminishing its harmful effect. Also present is the ying-yang symbol, representing the harmonious balance between male and female energies, a reminder of the importance of unity and balance in both life and nature. The antique Kazak rug's border is equally captivating, offering its own story of protection and strength. The innermost guard band showcases a series of S-hook motifs, another ancient symbol believed to protect against the evil eye. Surrounding this, the main border features Ram’s Horn motifs, symbolizing fertility, heroism, power, and masculinity. These bold geometric forms not only add to the visual appeal of the this Kazak prayer rug but also remind the owner of the strength and vitality essential to the survival of the Caucasian people in their rugged landscape. Finally, the outermost running water guard band highlights the importance of water to life in the Caucasus. Water, essential for both people and animals, represents inner purification and renewal. The repetition of this motif underscores its significance in the tribes’ elemental lifestyle. This antique Kazak Prayer rug...

Beautiful Collection of Romanian Antique Bessarabian Kilims and Rugs Antique Bessarabian Rugs / Kilims in both pile and tapestry weaving technique are some of the more beautiful carpets to have been produced in Europe. Many of the Bessarabian Kilims were woven around the mid to late 19th century, though some do date back to the 18th century as well. This production that carried into the early twentieth century under late Ottoman Turkish rule in an area corresponding to modern Bulgaria and Romania, they stand right on the cusp of European and Oriental carpet weaving. Many of the designs are floral patterns made in a naturalistic western style utilizing brown or black ground, not unlike certain Karabaghs from the Caucauses. But others, particularly flat weaves, reflect the tradition of Turkish kilims from nearby Anatolia, although in a distinctive Bessarbian palette. In either case they are supremely decorative rugs. History Of Antique Flat Woven Bessarabian Kilim Rugs from Romania Bessarabian Kilims and carpets are flat woven rugs that originate in the Russian provinces of the Ukraine and Moldova in the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. While most carpet experts will classify the flat woven rugs as Bessarabian they will often refer to the knotted pile carpets as Ukrainian. The Bessarabian carpets differ from antique Persian carpets in many ways. For example, unlike Persian carpets, Bessarabian rugs cannot be classified to a region according to the way the rugs were woven. Their weaves provide indications regarding the area for which they were created rather than for their classification. The markets these antique rugs were designed for could have fallen into different categories such as a rural market or an urban one. But all other attributes were dismissed and all the Romani made area rugs and carpets are referred to as Bessarabian instead. Antique Romanian Bessarabian kilims are ornate and they come in a variety of designs as well color combinations. It’s not uncommon for some Bessarabian kilims to be more floral while others may feature more geometric patterns. Bessarabian carpets are made on carpet weaving looms similar to the ones used to make the French Aubusson rugs. These looms are wooden, and the rugs are flat woven / kilims. The best of these rug types were created in the 1700’s. The Russian Imperial Tapestry Factory was where these Romanian rugs were made, and the factory was created by none other than Peter the Great. He established the Russian Imperial Tapestry Factory following his return from England and France. He was inspired to create the factory after being in awe of the splendid Aubusson carpets, Savonnerie rugs, and Axminster carpets he saw while abroad. The beautiful carpets he admired while in Europe had already caught the eyes of his Russian contemporaries, and importing them was triggering a financial drain for the Russian treasury. For this reason, the Russian Imperial Tapestry Factory was used as a location for copying the French and English carpets Peter the Great and the Russian nobility desired. Demand for these lavishly luxurious rugs grew, and additional factories were created in villages. This region is from where these rugs got the name Bessarabian. The region is divided between two territories: the Republic of Moldova and Romania. Bessarabian rug weavers were country people who had a country taste. Though they were tasked with replicating the elaborate motifs of the European rugs, they added their own unique country’s flair to their borrowed rug patterns and designs. This more folksy or traditional approach to the European patterns...

Antique Bessarabian rug/runner USSR, circa 1890 Handwoven.