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JBOC's Notes on Oriental Rugs

Guide to Caucasian Flatweaves

The Thompson Shahsavan Bag Panel - Kazak?

Caucasian Flatweaves

As a general rule there was a commercial/export market for pile carpets much earlier than there was anything but a local market for flatweaves.

Central Transcaucasus Karabagh Sumak Bag

Karabagh Shahsavan sumac

Ralf Weierman's Caucasian Dragon Sumac

Sumac

Sumac, Sumahk, Soumak, etc...

Supplementary weft wrapping most commonly over 2 back under one or over 3 under one. Many attribute the name to the city of Shemakha in Azerbaijani. Considered by many to be the origin of Sumac. While it is likely they wove Sumac there I think it is unlikely it stared there.

There is a variety of structures such as plain sumac, reverse sumac and countered sumac (see below).

Countered Sumac

Preview of "Sumac Bags" The Definitive Book on Shahsevan Flatweaves.

Embroidery

One kind of non-pile is also not woven. Of course the base cloth is woven but unlike pile sumac and Kelim the design is not applied on the loom. Embroidery is design applied by needle using thread

 A-140 Armenian Embroidery Circa 1910. Brought to U.S.A. by an American Missionary and sold to Harold Keshishian in 1975.

Warp: cotton, 1 Z yarn

Weft: cotton, 1 Z yarn

Design: cotton, 2 Z yarns, S plied

Colors: (3) eggplant purple, wine red, bright yellow

Condition: very good. No selvedge.

Oriental Rugs Technical Analyses and Recordation

The Rippon Boswell Caucasian Shaddah

Rippon Boswell Caucasian Azeri Flatweave

Sumac Carpet East Caucasus, last quarter nineteenth Century

These Rugs are part of the broader category of Caucasian Rugs and Caucasian Carpets

For Further Reading:

Thanks and best wishes,

J. Barry O'Connell Jr.

Index to JBOC's Rug Notes

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Index

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M

N

O

P

Q

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T

U

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Z