Ararat Rugs Mamluk Wagireh Rug with Leaf Lattice Design, Egypt Revival Carpet

This lattice pattern is composed of palmettes and leaves filling the various compartments against the imposing ground. One has the impression that it is only part of a larger scheme designed 15th-century rug from the Mamluk era, Cairo region, Eygpt. These designs have often been described as wagirehs or samplers and were said to have been used as weaver`s aids, or for demonstration purposes, made as a template or pattern for the carpet design and production of larger rugs, they are generally small pieces of the size of a scatter rug or mat. Mamluk carpets originated in a physical environment that lacked the combination of abundant marginal grazing land and a temperate climate with cool winters that were common to most carpet-weaving areas in the Islamic world. While related to a broader tradition of Turkish weaving centered in Anatolia, far to the north, the designs of these carpets include atypical elements, such as stylized papyrus plants, that are deeply rooted in Egyptian tradition. Their unusual composition and layout probably represent an attempt to develop a distinctive product that could in effect establish a “Mamluk brand” in the lucrative European export market. The uncharacteristic color scheme—devoid of the undyed white pile and employing a limited range of three or five hues in much the same value—also suggests a conscious attempt to create a particular stylistic identity. Also virtually unique in the world of Islamic carpets is the S-spun wool. It has been argued that the tradition of clockwise wool spinning originated in Egypt because of the earlier Egyptian tradition of spinning flax into linen thread. Details of the plant’s botanical structure make it impossible to spin flax fiber in the more common counterclockwise direction utilized throughout the Middle East for wool and cotton. Mamluk carpets with the color combinations seen in the Simonetti are now generally accepted as part of an earlier tradition that has many links to the weaving of Anatolia, Iran, and Syria. The “three-color” Mamluk carpets, well represented in the Metropolitan’s collection, represent a later development that continued well after the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. Many such carpets may have been produced well into the seventeenth century, and possibly even later. (Walter B. Denny in [Ekhtiar, Soucek, Canby, and Haidar 2011]). The design of the rug is interpreted by our designers from our Mamlouk-type rugs collection and soft colors are used for this rug. Color summary: 3 colors in total; Moss Green 27 (Spurge – Indigo) Mount Olive...

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 lattice pattern is composed of palmettes and leaves filling the various compartments against the imposing ground. One has the impression that it is only part of a larger scheme ...

The source of carpet comes from the book Völker, Angela, Die orientalischen Knüpfteppiche das MAK, Vienna: Böhlau, 2001: 42–5. That rug with the central star was designed in the earl...

Hand-knotted in wool, circa 1960 - 1970, this 6x9 vintage Müren rug is an exciting new addition to Rug & Kilim Mid-century Pasha Collection. Its design is believed to be a rare work ...

This antique Persian Kurdish rug has been hand-knotted in wool and features a sub-geometric medallion design rendered in multicolor. A complementary, multi-tiered border encompasses ...

All-Over Latticework Design Vintage Turkish Tulu Rug Measures: 3'1 x 5'5 Vintage Turkish Tulu rug in Soft orange, light brown and light green, Keivan Woven Arts/ rug #EN-267, coun...

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