An S-Group Index

The early Russian rug authors-and some later ones-are unreliable as a source.For Dudin,who spent six weeks amongst the Turkmen on his second expedition,the Saryk wove no rugs,but hoarded those of the Salor.Baron Felkersam opined that the Salor used no silk in their weavings.There seems to be little direct evidence that S-Group equals Salor,but an image-hungry market seized on the idea in the late 1970`s,and so was born a tribe,complete with history and trousseau.The logic is simple: the S-Group represent the highest grade of Turkmen weavings,and the Salor were the most esteemed amongst the Turkmen clans.Thus,S-Group=Salor.First amongst the sceptics was Michael David,whose critical lambast can be read in"Tribal Visions" Currently the Salor are viewed as the rightful claimants to the throne,but who knows?Perhaps some unjustly forgotten group is even now languishing in the vaults.However the name is glamorous and has been generally adopted.

But if S-Group does not equal Salor,where are the highly esteemed old Salor carpets?

The technical characteristics of Salor weaving(from here on pro forma described)are a two-ply warp with an asymmetric Persian knot open to the left.The warps are heavily depressed.The structure is basically that of a Persian Vase carpet in wool,but missing its third weft.The group is firmly within the orbit of Persian artisanry,unlike the Tekke,who to a woman wove the Persian knot open right,perhaps out of sheer bloody-mindedness(or a high percentage of left-handed weavers)The S-Group main carpets scarcely pass in a normal sized yurt,as the curators of the 1980 Turkmen exhibition in Washington discovered to their chagrin.Such carpets were presumably made for hard floors.

Not all the examples shown here fit exactly into the classic S-Group fold.A common exception is the use of the Persian knot open to the right,which may or may not indicate a Tekke influence.Some of general Bogolubov`s examples seem quite new,so it is clear that there were skilled weavers still up to scratch.But the old feeling,the Spirit,was gone.

THE TRAPPINGS.

15 Medallion (2 items)

1-Raymond Bernadout 1996

2-Sothebys 2.12.2003-lot 19

In typical paired-down S-Group style,the 15,18 and 21 Göl bags feature the diamond Göl(used as a Secondary on the main carpets)interspersed with a lobed diamond also found on the Memling design bags.The above item was sold at Sothebys for $20,400.

15 Göl


18 Medallion (10 items)

3-Loges

4-Hoffmeister

The Loges example has a virtual twin published in "The Atlantic Collection" plate 217.The Göl also appears on a group of Yomut main carpets,in a more embellished form("Karadashli")

18 Göl

21 Medallions.

5-Austrian Collection

This is the only known example with 21 Göls.

Aina Gul( 8 items)

The Aina Gül design is common amongst the Tekke,where it was woven in three variations:with a centre-piece featuring either a Kotchak,Diamond,or Choval Göl design.The S-Group version  employs exclusively the Diamond form.There are many pseudo-Salor pieces in this group.

6-Sothebys Islamic Sale 5.10.11-402

Later with Motamedi in Hamburg.

7-Hoffmeister Collection-14

Aina Gul

Ak Su design(14 items)

Again,there are many imitators of this exquisite design,some of which may have crept in here.Without a tech analysis it is impossible to tell.The Turkish word "ak "(white) is frequently used as an expression of purity,hence "ak-su" may equal"pure water"

8-Ex-Black and Loveless-Rippon Boswell 19.5.2012-lot 148

The legendary piece of "The Blacks" was recently sold at RB`s in Wiesbaden,for $28,745.

9-Mallams 12.1.2012-lot 38

The Mallams rug sold for $30,445.

Ak Su

BoxStar(3 items)

A rare item for the Salor,but common amongst their Shadow Confederation,the Ersari,up to late Afghan pieces.

10-Textile Museum

Box Star

Curled Leaf( 15 items)

11-Thompson

Generally considered best of type,the Black/Loveless rug was sold at Sothebys on 1 December 1984,for $27,500.It seems to have then entered the Collection of Jon Thompson.It was inadequately reviewed in Oriental rug Review,volume 4,issue 9,page 43.

An interesting example surfaced on Rug Rabbit in 2012.It is one of the very few small trappings with an original back.

12-Rugs of the Inner Circle

A curious piece was offered at Rippon Boswell`s sale of 18 November 2006, Lot 54.It features the outer "Stepped" Chamtos border found on large Kedjebe models,and is the largest known example(0.45 x 1.46 cms)

13-Lot 54-sold for 24,000 euro

And finally a Bogolubov item,presumably Tekke and new at time of purchase.

14-Atlantic Collections Plate 145

None of the Ovadan group appear to be particularly old.The design went on to a successful career as a  Kapylyk.Even Tekke trappings with this design are rare.

Curled Leaf

Flower Lattice(2 items)

Only two examples are known with a flower-lattice design.The first is from O`Bannon`s Moshkova edition.

15-O`Bannon plate 78

The second was initially published by the Italian dealer D.Sevi in Hali 64.It later appeared in ATT 4,nr.95b,from Eberhart Herrmann

16-ATT 4

Kedjebe Design(19 items)

In 1998 two examples of this type appeared at auction in New York

17-Sothebys NY-15.4.1998-Lot 61

18-Sothebys NY 15.4.1998-Lot 105

Lot 105 was sold for $19,950,whilst Lot 61 failed to sell(see Hali 99-127)Peter Bausback`s model is only one of two with a Kotchanak border

19-
19-Bausback-Weltkunst 15.6.1983-page 1635

The second having been recently published in the irregular Jahrbuch of the Austrian Rug Society,TKF

20-Gewebt & Geknüpft V-26

And Udo Langauer`s fragment reveals the plush opulence of the group as a whole

21-Langauer

Memling Design (10 items)

22-Thompson

Jon Thompson`s piece is  unsurpassed.Peter Hoffmeister`s first venture in this field was acquired for the Woger Collection in Munich

23-Hoffmeister 1-plate 57

And a fragment displays remarkable quality

24-Pacific Collections 109

Rarely were the Salor beaten at their own game,but a Saryk version is worthy of note

25-Saryk-Skinners 23.4.1994-Lot 31 sold for $21,850

Salor Memling

Schemle Gul design.(11 items)

For its poise and fantastic use of white the rug from the 1980 Washington exhibition is the penultimate choice in this department

26-Turkmen Nr.11

Salor Schemle

There are two types of Schemle design:that of the S-Group,with a design in offset rows,and the more prosaic rendering in which  the "schemles" run diagonally across the field.Schemle design rugs of the latter type tend to fall into the pseudo-Salor group,but it is the preferred approach of the Saryk.As a whole,the most disappointing S-Group weavings.

Schemle Diagonal(8 items)

27-Gewebt und Geknüpft I-III,plate12

However two pieces in Austrian Collections are both woven with S-Group structure(see above)but feature a simplified design.

Schemle Diagonal


Salor Kapylyk,or Kapunuk(8 items)

At least eight examples of S-Group Lambrequin are known.None appear to be ancient.

28-Moshkova -O`Bannon 75

The above example was once in  the collection of Moshkova.

A key to identifying the S-Group models are the straight ends combined with a serated meander line.

A last example in a Californian Collection has yet to be published.Why not!

Salor Kapylyk

THE LARGE TRAPPINGS.

Made in one,two and three medallion models,these trappings were thought until recently to have adorned the bride`s litter during the wedding procession.This has been called into question chiefly because the largest models would have been too big for a camel adornment.The Medallions of the Large Kedjebe Panels have been christened"Darwaza"by Azadi,after their description in a 1983 Russian publication by Dovodov et al.In the Dovodov book they are actually referred to as "Derveze"The word seems to be Persian and translates as "A Great,or High Tower"One of the large gates at the Taj Mahal is called the "Darwaza-i rauza",for instance,and it seems to be used frequently in association with Mughal architecture.Dovodov`s book is an amalgam of late 19th and 20th century Turkmen pieces of dubious quality.It is certainly not an original trustworthy source.The use of a Persian word to describe these medallions surely indicates that the name is a made-up one,probably from the Bazaar.However,like "Salor"it is all we have at the moment .Elena Tsareva adopts the expression in her catalogue to the Hoffmeister Collection,without mentioning Azadi`s contribution(in BitW,pages 142 and 154)In her view the "Gates" are the accompanying niches with idols,found on both types of Kedjebe.However Dovodov refers to the Medallions when using the term "Dervese(or Darwaza,or Darvaza)and not to the niches.

No one has yet conclusively figured out the meaning of the passage between the "stepped borders".

1 Medallion(4 items)

These are the rarest of the three types,presumably due to the accidents of history

29-Dudin Collection

Salor 1 Medallion Kedjebe

2 Medallion(12 items)

30-Sothebys 20.1.1990-Lot 106(the Coury)

The Coury trapping is by consensus the measure of all things Kejebe.It was first published by Ulrich Schürmann,and then purchased by Eberhart Herrmann at Sothebys for a world record $67,000.It was again sold at Sothebys NY in January 1990 for another record-breaking $148,500.

31-Phillips 23.4.1996-Lot 23

This pair is included here as a two medallion model.It is believed to have been originally a three medallion type,but who can prove that for sure?First sold at Phillips London for $8,680,the upper piece was subsequently re-sold at Sothebys London on 30 April 2003(Lot 55) for$ 11,900)

32-Rippon Boswell 29.5.2012-Lot 1

Distinguished by its diagonally placed"cones"within the medallions,this item sold for $57,885 at Rippon Boswell in Wiesbaden.This design anomaly has been associated with Saryk models,some of which appear to be early

33-Rippon Boswell 18.11.2006-Lot 91

The above sold for $13,095.An Ersari variant with this design feature is also known

34-David Sorgato

The latest example to appear on the market was sold at Rippon Boswell`s for $187,470,setting a new world record for this type

35-RB 26.11.11-Lot 150

Salor 2 Medallion Kedjebe

3 Medallion(10 items)

The first piece was published in 1909 by Neugebauer & Orendi,and later republished by Ganzhorn

36-Ganzhorn pl.638

It`s not clear why this has always been presumed to have been a 3-Medallion type.It has the diagonal"Cones"of the RB piece from 2012,and was described in 1909 as "Tekke".

37-Turkmen 1980 Washington-14

The Jenkins/Textile Museum piece was worthy of a Gate-Fold spread,being truly immaculate.

38-Hoffmeister Collection-9

The last piece to appear at auction was sold at Gunther`s in Dresden on 4.4.2000(Lot 240)for $48,800.It was acquired by Eberhart Herrmann and subsequently entered the Collection of Peter Hoffmeister.(See Hali 110,page 153 for a full list of Darwaza Göl carpets sold at auction)The Hali Listing raises a number of unanswered questions,to which the following may also be added:Why were the Chamtos borders on the sides also covered by long fringes?What is the significance of the Tamga-like designs on the inner corners of the stepped borders?And what were the Göl forms above and below the Darwaza medallions?

39-Wiedersperg Collection

Salor 3 Medallion Kedjebe

Kedjebe Design without stepped border(7 items)

There is a small group of  Kedjebe trappings without the "re-entry" borders,ranging from Torba size to large medallion Kedjebe.They were made as 2 and 3 Göl models.

40-E.Herrmann ATT 1-53

First among these is the "pair"purchased by E.Herrmann at Dreweatt Neate Newbury on 2.11.1988,for $56,415.Their consanguinity has never been proved,although seems likely.

 41-Atlantic Collections 155(Bogolubov)

Bogolubov published the first example in 1908.The Herrmann pair seems very old,so it cannot be a later development.A large Torba-sized piece sold for $14,415 at Rippon Boswell on 24.5.1997

42-RB 47 Lot 141

Kedjebe design without stepped borders

THE CHOVALS.

There are three types of S-group Chovals: 9-Göl.16 Göl,and the Classic type with Salor or "Soghdian" Göl.The few 12-Göl chovals are probably not S-Group,but Ersari/Kizil Ayak,or"something else"

9 Göl Chovals.

A pair of double bags have been published

43-TKF Austria

One of the supreme Salor bags is in Leningrad

44

And another was acquired by Italian dealer Alberto Levi

45-Alberto Levi Hali 165

The centre of the main Göl is always the lobed diamond.A piece in the Russian Colletions should be published in full,for its skirt alone

46-Aurora Publishing-9

Salor 9 Göl Chovals   (9 items)



16 Göl Chovals.

The remaining chovals will be classified according to their Elem designs.

One piece has a plain Elem

47-Dudin Collection-ORR 11-12-1990-page 81

The majority of 16 medallion examples feature a high,quartered form without the lobed diamond.Two exceptions are recorded here.

Flower Elem.


This is the Elem design found mostly on Saryk Chovals.An example belonging to Jon Thompson later entered the Ralph Kaffel Collection

48-Thompson sale Lot 55

A spacious example from the Wher Collection features the squarer Göl form

49-Lefevre November 1979-Lot Nr.1 sold for 3600 pounds

And two fragments in different German Collections serve to remind us of what has been lost

50-H.C Sienknecht

51-Private Collection Germany

 Salor 16 Göl-Flower Elem   (11 items)

Tree Elem 

The majority with quartered Göls.One piece in the Pacific Collections has the lobed diamond.

52-Timbuktu Catalogue-33

The single tree Elem is the most commonly used design in the 16 Göl group.The trees take different forms

53-Tent Band Collection-later Munkasci

54-Pacific Collections 114

55-Sothebys 9.6.1990-33

The above described in Hali 52-184, sold for $33,000.Also published in Atlantic Collections,201.

 16 Göl tree Elems   (13 items)

Other Elems 

56-Jenkins Collection-Textile Museum

The supreme example.

 16 Göl chovals-other Elems   (3 items)

THE SALOR GÖL CHOVALS.(classified by Elem design)The ornament is known as "Maida" by the Turkmen.

57-Coptic textile,4-5th century AD,Cairo

There are two types of Box-Star Secondary minor Göls,those with or without attached hooks.

Diagonal flower Elem,Secondary with hooks.

58-AAA Jacoby Sale 1925-27

The first publication of such a piece from the Collection of Heinrich Jacoby.

59-Ganzhorn 642

An ebullient example from the Woger Collection in Münich.

Diagonal flower/secondary with hooks   (10 items)



Diagonal Flower Elem,Secondary without hooks

60-A.Zadah-Hali 41-103

The Coad/Zadah example now in the Spratt Collection USA.

61-Sienknecht Collection

Diagonal Flower/secondary without hooks   (8 items)



Single File Flowers

62-Hali 166-31

First published in the 1975 "Festschrift für P.W Meister"and subsequently sold at Christies london on 28.4.1995 for $14,720.See Loges 23.

Single file flower Elem   (3 items)


Single tree

The most commonly used Elem design on bags with Secondary BoxStar without hooks.What better place to start than with the Jenkins?

63-Turkmen Catalog Washington-8

Although the V&A piece is equally minimalistic

64-Hali 2/4-301

The V&A also possesses a second,lesser example,which has never been published in colour.

A second tree Elem design resembles a candelabra

65-Sienknecht Collection-1

A further variation from the Haji Baba`s

66-Timbuktu-32

Single Tree Elem   (18 items)



Simplified Flower Elem

Reminiscent of Saryk work,this includes the famous Thomas Knorr piece

67-Gewebt & Geknüpft 1-3-15

Simplified Flower Elem   (3 items)



Salor Classic Choval fragments.

Obvious candidates are the two "pieces" from one choval.The first sold at the Tentband sale

68-Sothebys NY 8.12.1990-Lot 17

69-Sothebys NY 16.12.1993-Lot 60

With just three years between them,the second fragment sold for more than double.See Hali APGs:- Hali 55-165;Hali 73-138.A middle part is said to exist.

Salor Classic Choval Fragments   (4 items)



One example is known with a plain Elem and a rare cut-off main Göl

70-Jon Thompson Collection

Holbein secondary.

A last small group of classic Chovals employs a secondary motif used at the centre of the Darwaza Göl.

There are two fragments from apparently the same rug

71-NERS

72-Hagop Manoyan

And a complete example with a single file Elem

73-Ganzhorn 634 

The first example was published by Grote-Hasenbalg

74-Grote-Hasenbalg

Apart from the rare Secondary,there seems to be little to link them as a group.

Holbein Secondary   (6 items)



THE MAIN CARPETS.

For convenience,the Main carpets have been divided by Göl ratio,thus giving:-
4 x 11
5 x 9
5 x 10
5 x 11
5 x 12
6 x 12
6 x 13
7 x 13

Main Carpets 4 x 11(1 item)

75-E Herrmann SOT 1

Main Carpets 5 x 9(2 items)

76-Austrian Collections 101

77-Sothebys 14.10.1981-Lot 162

Main Carpets 5 x 10(3 items)

78-Thompson Sale 54

79-Sothebys 18..5.1985-Lot 76

80-Tischer - Bozoglu

Main Carpets 5 x 11(8 items)

81-Phillips 2.12.1986-Lot 42

82-Gewebt & Geknüpft-1-3-19

The 5 x 11 ratio is the most numerous.The Austrian piece(above)features a rare uncut lateral motif.

Main Carpets 5 x 11


Main Carpets 5 x 12(5 items)

83-Rippon Boswell 16.11.1991-Lot 122

An outstanding example.

84-Gewebt & Geknüpft 1-3-4

Main Carpets 5 x 12

Main Carpets 6 x 12(5 items)

85-Rippon Boswell 19.5.12-158

Once sold for a record price at Lefevre`s in 1980(30,000 pounds)the above again broke all records with a final bid of $ 136,150.

A unique event was the appearance of a Salor Main carpet with an unorthodox border,in this case the curled leaf design seen on Group A Ensis,which fetched $88,965.Now with David Sorgato.

86-Christies 15.9.2011-112

Main Carpets 6 x 12

Main Carpets 6 x 13(6 items)

87-Thompson Sale Sothebys 16.12.1993-Lot 61

Large and square shape.

88-Turkmen Catalogue Washington-4

With a rare inner Chamtos border.


Main carpets 6 x 13

There is one 7 x 13 Main Carpet,once in the possession of Peter Bausback,which was sold at Rippon Boswell`s for $49,735 on 11.5.1996-Lot 138.

89-Bausback 1980-151

Main Carpets,almost complete(4 items)

This group contains carpets which cannot be classified via the Göl ratio.The most prominent is a carpet once in the Loges Collection.

90-Loges-17

Sold at Nagels for $ 58,375 on 27.3.2012-Lot 42.

Another carpet published by the Gallery Kailash

91-Hali 39-10

was subsequently newly conserved for an Austrian Collection

92-Gewebt & Geknüpft 1-3-16

Main Carpets Incomplete

Other Salor Main carpets,whose ratio cannot be determined,include the first example to have been published, by Werner Grote-Hasenbalg in 1922.

93

Other Main Carpets

Main Carpet Fragments.At least 19 "pieces" are known.

94-Rippon Boswell 23.5.1998-Lot 96

Now in the Gaib Collection.

95-deCredico

Even the Salor could make mistakes!


Main Carpet fragments


The Ensis.

The Ensi carpets were discussed fully  by Robert Pinner in Hali 60.There are two known types,A and B.

Type A-Curled Leaf Border(4 items)

96-Wher Collection

97-Adil Besim

The above was exhibited at the 5th ICOC in Vienna and later sold for $106,560 at Rippon Boswell on 17.11.2001-Lot 90.

98-Washington ICOC-168

99-Grogans 22.5.2011-Lot 805

The grogan`s carpet sold for $ 241,500.

Type B-Medallion Border(7 items)

100-ATT-2-59

Acquired by Eberhart Herrman at Christies NY for $94,600 on 29.11.1989.

101-Rippon Boswell 10.11.1990-Lot 108

Sold for $156,760.

102-Washington ICOC-169

The above was the subject of an article By S.Azadi in Hali 60.

103-Nagels 9.11.1999-Lot 23

Sold for $39,980.This appears to be a Group B carpet woven in Group A style.

104-Hoffmeister Collection-12

105-Sothebys NY 13.4.1995-Lot 117

Sold for $90,500.Now with Udo Langauer ,see Hali 172.

106-Pure magic:The Thompson ensi,Hali 60,cover

Let us dwell a while by the last piece illustrated here,Jon Thompson`s best of type.Lofty and reserved, it avoids the manic quality of the other B-Group pieces.It combines various Turkmen motifs (a Tekke border Octagon,the animal procession from Chodor pieces,the border featuring the centre design fom an Arabatchi choval,Insykush-overkill)with the best wool and dyes.The seven examples in the B-Group represent a more standardised quality than in the Group A,of which only the Wher/Besim pieces are homogenous.The standardisation hints at the existence of a "nomadic workshop"of the kind known to have been run by the wife of a Saryk khan.The Wher Collection and Vienna pieces seemed to Robert Pinner much older than the second Group.The Group B carpets may represent an urbanised view of tribal life,a"retro"style of deliberate archaizing.


The Salor went on to experience their own Wounded Knee.In 1832 Serakhs was decimated by Persian forces under Abbas-mirsa.In retaliation the Salor were resettled,and a long decline began.The Soviet Census of 1926 listed approximately 35,000 tribespeople.

Concordance:

Trappings-111
Kedjebe panels-32
9 Göl Chovals-9
16 Göl Chovals-28
Salor Classic chovals-53
Main Carpets-40
Main Carpet fragments-19
Ensis-11.

Not including the Main Carpet fragments,this amounts to a total number of pieces published here of 303 items.It is impossible to know exactly how many Main carpets the fragments represent.A legendary Salor Main carpet is said to have been cut up in Kabul,in the 1970`s.Considering  the 400 Yomut 9-Gol Chovals on record,a precious few.

107-Moshkova

The Austrian Rug Society`s Publication on the occasion of an exhibition of Salor carpets from private collections can be ordered HERE
Sehr zu empfehlen!

"Rug Forgeries"in Berlin

Jozan asks :

1

The answer is the one on the left

2-Tuduc-Ionescu page 83

Complete with areas of noble rot,this was an excellent choice, as the original,once in the Keszler Collection,has been missing since 1925.

3-Tapis Turcs 24

As often Tuduc altered the copy by darkening the main border,thus avoiding the accusation of an outright plagiary.Unfortunately this upsets the colour balance as a whole.

Whilst in Berlin,perhaps Mr.Ionescu could be persuaded to look into the matter of the Polak Carpet,whose dubious Chronogram and overbearing stiffness make it a prime candidate

4-The Polak Carpet,Berlin,dated 1610

The above was probably copied by Armenian craftsman in Istanbul,in the late 19th Century,from a fragment in the TIEM,which had been brought to the museum from the Sultan Ahmet Mosque.Discussing the group in Hali 4/1,page 39, Pinner & Franses confuse the two pieces.

A thorough dye analysis would set matters straight.

5-TIEM

New Masters of Tekke

Interesting items show up sometimes at Neumeister`s in Munich.Such was the case on the 17 October 2012 when a rare Turkmen torba was offered for sale

Neumeisters

1-Neumeisters 518

Described in the catalogue as a "tschowal"this torba was in all likelihood Tekke work,with a Persian knot open to the right,and a typical Tekke back and weave.The weavers had miscalculated the göl ratio,and were obliged to foreshorten the torba towards the top.This was particularly disturbing in person,and the sordid condition( deliberately dirtied up)did not enhance the rugs` appeal.Nevertheless,starting from a 200 euro estimate,it peaked at 2800 euro.Perhaps a good wash will improve its appearance.

A similar item was once offered by Hans Elmby

2-Elmby IV-58

Elmby was at a loss to ascribe it,settling for Kizilayak.However the border does occur sometimes in Tekke work

3-Nagels 27.3.12-Lot 21

The above example from the Loges Collection is a good example of Turkmen "true grit"

The border has been sighted on some members of the "Eagle" Group

4-Michael Franses

9- Göl Tekke Torbas with the usual 6-Göl version are rare,but at least 11 are known

5-Private Collection Germany

6-Rippon Boswell 26.11.11-21

 Why so few were made is anyone`s guess.Perhaps because the Tekke tried everything?Whatever.

Tekke 9-Göl Torbas

We`ve found items that might interest you

The supply of Classical fragments has dwindled in the last years,but Christies London still promotes them.A point in case was the Vase fragment sold on 2.10.2012.

1-Christies Lot 81

It had previously been sold by Rippon Boswell in May 2006(Lot 009)for 2900 euro,but some  years before,on the 4th of November 2003,went for 3600 euro at Nagels in Stuttgart.

2-Nagels

Christies cataloguer refers en passant to the fragment now in the Lyons Textile Museum

3-Lyons Musee des Tissus

Both pieces share a three-plane design,the apparent stiffening in the border of the Lyons piece is attributed to its later date.Friedrich Spuhler divided the two types into"Swinging"(early)and "rigid"(late)styles.The Christies fragment has an intertwined border more associated with earlier models,the supreme example being the carpet(or carpets)scattered about the world,which so entranced Frau Klose

4-Christies 25.4.2002-Lot 76

The Christies fragment has a two band plaiting,that from 2002 a complex and elegant three banded intertwining.More fragments from the same carpet(s)can be seen in the V&A,the Louvre,Boston,the Hermitage,et al.Strapwork borders with thick plaiting are uncommon amongst the Vase group,which tends to feature narrow borders,or entwined arabesques.

Returning to the 2012 example,another bit of the same carpet was sold at Sothebys in 1993, ex-collection Dr Andre Ungar

5-Sothebys 28.4.1993-Lot 63

The Christies fragment was first published in 1908,in a brochure which served as a piece of proto-advertorial for Bernheimer`s in Munich

6-Monatshefte XXII,1908

This is evidently the other end of the carpet,which must have been in complete condition at the time.

However,the two carpets may have formed a pair.But it is unlikely that the Bernheimer piece would have thus lain dormant for the last hundred years.

The strapwork border is a borrowing from the group of large Medallion Carpets from North West Persia,best illustrated by the ex-Baron von Tucher example now in the Textile Museum

7-Myers Collection,Textile Museum

After its turbulent ride through the auction world,this seminal Vase Carpet fragment sold for a well-deserved 3500 pounds.

Tekke Kelle Ensi

Few readers will be unaware of the Rapiscan Review,a blog site maintained by Californian dealer George Gilmore.

Rapiscan

Always on the lookout for exciting collector goods,Mr.Gilmore`s post of  8/27/12 mentioned an interesting Tekke ensi for sale at CRN Auctions in Cambridge Ma. on September 9.Lot 375 was estimated at $8-1200 dollars,and eventually sold at $17,000,excluding buyer`s premium.

CRN Auctions

1-CRN Auctions Lot 375

Gilmore accurately compared the CRN piece to a rug published in Turkoman Studies,page 156,illustration 336.However,the two pieces belong to different design groups.The TS piece was sold on 26 November 2011 at Rippon Boswell,and an APG followed in Hali 171,page 124.In both pieces the trees in the border have been separated into panels by horizontal stripes.

2-Rippon Boswell 26.11.2011-lot 19

The rare elem-border trope was obviously the chief selling factor at CRN.Moshkova named such tree patterns "Kelleli"(but she also used the term to describe the "Animal-Tree" Group).In his book on Turkmen designs,Klaus Troost reserves the term for the Animal-Tree Ensi,using the term "Kelle "for the tree border design.The design also appears on Tekke chovals,mainly of the 16 gol type,and in a truncated form on Chodor chovals with ertmen gol.

3-Moshkova-O`Bannon page 223

The ensis can be divided into two groups:those in which the tree forms fill the elem,and the more appealing group in which the trees flank all sides.

The wrap-around group can again be subdivided into two groups:Group A,known here as "Kelle",and Group B,known here as "Kelle-Halo"

The first group,in which the bejewelled tree design appears only in the elem,is actually a fairly standard Tekke ensi

4-Bausback 1982-130

The inner scrolling-leaf border with hash-tags seems to be a constant,as is the sickle-leaf main border.Variations do occur

5-Chris Legge-Larta 2012

And a piece from Rug Rabbit bears a second,stacked elem often found on Tekke Chovals

6-Burak Serdaroglu-RugRabbit

More Fotos

7-Orientalische Teppiche,1891,page 120

We enter a completely different realm with the "wrap-around" Group."Type  A" Kelle pieces may  best be represented by an example from Eberhart Herrmann ,in which the flowerheads have grown handles,and the Insykush field sports the ultra-desirable birds-heads

8-Weltkunst 1999

A similar piece erupted at Grogan`s back in 2006(see Hali 148-115)

9-Grogans 22 April 2006-106

And a further Phantom of the Internet has been sighted

10

Better known is the example from the "Turkmen"Exhibition of 1980 in Washington,later reprised for the Atlantic Collections ICOC Exhibit,in which the tree forms demonstrate their apotropaic qualities

11-Turkmen 45-Atlantic Collections 194

Less Sentinel-like and more stately was HJ-Krausse`s square format example

12-Hali 78-4

Whilst a piece from The Jan Timmerman collection appears to float on suspension rings,and the entire frame is encompassed by "Kelle"

13-ex-Timmermann

More Fotos

The first "Type B" Kelle ensi seems to have been published by Peter Bausback in 1969

14-Bausback 1969-77

A gutsier example was on display at the Washington ICOC exhibition

15-Washington 174

The trees in Peter Hoffmeister`s piece have a delicate saryk touch to them

16-Hoffmeister 33

E.Herrmann`s example is quite other-worldly

17-ATT 2-56

More Fotos

During the late 70`s the "Animal-Tree" ensis rose to fame,and a number of stirling examples appeared.Their connection to a group of Tekke asmalyk endowed them with an iconic status. However, more indifferent pieces also surfaced.Perhaps one day they will be eclipsed by the Kelle group,of which so few examples remain.

Pazyryk Magazine

The watershed year of 1968 also saw the birth of the first International carpet magazine,Pazyryk.Published from Brussels(in English)by Werner Gratz,it had a short-lived career of one issue.

1

Alongside articles from Arthur Pope(later republished in "A Survey"),the youthful Jawosch Azadi,and Sufi populariser Idries Shah,the most interesting contribution came from Edmund de Unger.It features what appears to be his drawing room, with a Polonaise carpet on the wall,and a medallion carpet on the floor.

2-chez de Unger

The Polonaise has an interesting history,having been published in the "Wiener Werk" of 1892.Its pair is now in Berlin, a gift to Wilhem von Bode from the Prince of Liechtenstein.

3-Keir Collection

4-Berlin

The Medallion carpet is presumably the Stora carpet,once in the Possession of the London dealer Jekyll.It bears the distinction of being the only other Safavid carpet with a direct relation to the Ardabil.

5-The Stora Carpet-Keir Collection

An article on the Pazyryk carpet was de rigeur,and Turkmen buffs will be intrigued by the following: "Imrali is the name of a small island…used as a penal settlement.The inmates of the Imrali prison produce rugs which are signed with the name of the island"With interviews and scholarly articles,it really deserved to succeed.Perhaps it was somewhat premature?

Ten years later Hali was launched,and a new era began.

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Due to public demand,the Fortune Magazine article"Flying High on Magic Carpets" can now be read here in its entirety.