The Salor Main Carpet Fragments

Some 36 fragments lay awaiting judgement in the Salor department of Rugtracker`s archive.They had been dealt with in summary fashion during the making of “An S-Group Index”,in October 2012.The following entry was initiated by a local collector.

The “pieces” have been divided by design,use of colour(especially silk)and the number of dots featured in each outer quarter-either none,1,or 2.(1-A)

1A-Left-no dots;Middle-one dot-Right-two dots(in the quarters)

The important group is from a carpet said to have been cut up in Kabul in 1976.Its largest  published section(1) was at the Turkmen exhibition,Washington,in 1980;thereafter Lefevre,and later at the ICOC Milan(Nrs 1-5)Two “gölled” fragments are in the Hoffmeister Collection(2),with a strip of border probably once attached to Nagels 3530.(3)Two border/field pieces have fortunately survived(4-Westcott-Pinner),and three more Göl souvenirs(5-Munich-Skinner-Serdaroglu)

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At Rippon-Boswell in 1998,a large fragment which sold for $7,930.(6)Interesting colour change after the first row(within the Göls),and rare inner guard.Very little silk.

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With Ronnie Newman and Tom Cole.(7)

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A triptych made from pieces belonging to Alfred deCredico(8-left)David Sorgato(8-middle)and Şeref Özen(8-right)The photos seem to indicate a Persian knot-right,and reveal a Tekke palette.The unusual offset first row can be seen in all three fragments.

8-deCredico-D.Sorgato-Şeref Özen

Two fragments which seem to belong together,but nowhere else:9(left-James Cohen)and 9(right-corner piece,Milani,Paris)One dot in each quarter,above the guardian beast.

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A few years ago a group of fragments appeared on ebay,offered by a well known Scottish-Arabian  consortium.The largest is now in a German Collection(10)Other pieces document its desintegration(11 & 12)The viral internet throne covered with Salor may well be part of this group (13)

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An item from the Jon Thompson Sale seems to belong to a second in a private collection.(14)

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An outstanding fragment from Zia Bozoglu,photo Wohlgemuth(15)

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Ronnie Newman`s 16 has the rare Salor emerald green,and could link to Alberto Levi´s poignant example(17)

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Kurt Munkaci`s fragment(18) from his 2015 Austrian Auction Company Sale opens up interesting speculative avenues with its Persian open- right and Ersariesque.Nr 19 was sold at Sothebys in 1983 for $550 and features an unusual colour change in the main border crosses.

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There are also at least another six main carpets which have lost portions and been refashioned.

Link-Salor Index-