A rare find

John has recently come across this absolutely beautiful kelim. Sometimes he'll come across something that stands out by a million miles and you realise that you're in the presence of something very rare and special. And indeed, this is a Karabagh. These weavings come from the southernmost region of the Caucasus, and were renowned as being extremely decorative works, often featuring a French-inspired (Aubusson/Savonnerie) floral scheme as demonstrated beautifully here. I believe the design is known as gol farangi or "European rose" pattern, which became popular all over the Caucasus and Persia during the second half of the nineteenth century, and modern pieces don't use these designs anymore, so to come across them is a rare and delightful ocassion.

I don't like to put an accurate date on anything without having strong evidence, but I can't help but think that it's belongs somewhere between the 1920s to 1940s- those colours are so Art Deco! I'd be surprised if it was anything later. I'm not in any hurry to sell this, but in case you're wondering it's 235 x 182 cm and the price is £845.00 and you'll have to get through me first.