19

Southwestern Caucasus, Moghan district

Long Rug, 1st half of the 19th century

This old runner from the Moghan district was once several feet longer, but its reduction (barely visible just above the bottom border) has in no way diminished its impact. While the "Memling guls" in the ivory main border are common Caucasian motifs, the colorful hooked diamonds in the narrow red field are a curiosity. Similar figures with "smooth" contours appear in pile rugs from the southwestern Caucasus, (see cat. nos. 14 and 18). Here, however, the weaver has created them with purposefully drawn sawtooth edges, so that they resemble devices commonly seen in Anatolian and Iranian kilims, which often use this step-like effect to create diagonal elements. The soft, luminous blue in the inside minor border, in subtle contrast to the stronger blue of the outer border, helps to contain the strong primary colors of this piece and to create a powerful visual statement. The stylized flowers in the minor borders are seldom seen in later Caucasian pile weavings.

M.H.