TURKISH (Cairo, Bursa or Istanbul) This much published rug is the the James F. Ballard Bursa Prayer Rug. I always think of it as Plate 1 in Mackie, Louise et al. Prayer Rugs. The attribution to Bursa is certainly open to question. Prayer Rugs lists it as Bursa (?). The late Kurt Erdmann attributes two related rugs to Cairo or Istanbul., Erdmann, K. Oriental Carpets figure 138 (From the Staatliche Museen, Berlin) and plate VII (From the Osterreichisches Museum fur Angewandte, Vienna). The Cairo question is interesting. Erdman based his attribution of this type to Cairo or Istanbul based on the use of an asymmetrical knot. He reasoned that since Mamluk carpets and these both use the asymmetrical knot they must be related. I think that may be a stretch in reasoning. Just as plausible is the likelihood of Persian and or Armenian weavers making these or at least training the weavers. When we hear hoof beats we should assume horses not zebras. Erdman also suggests that the asymmetrical knot is used because the symmetrical knot is not suitable for high knot count rugs. This rug is only 288 KPSI on a silk foundation which is no great feat with a symmetrical knot. We know that many extremely high quality rugs from Persia entered Turkey in the sixteenth century so there would have been models to base this construction upon. A related rug in the Topkapi Saray is attributed to "probably Cairo" Rogers, J. M. (ed) The Topkapi Saray Museum plate 1. This carpet is pate 58 in Great Carpets of the World Day, Susan, ed. and Miss Day labeled it Cairo 16th century. For Further Reading: Thanks and best wishes, J. Barry O'Connell Jr. |
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