Ushak ‘Turkey’ carpet
western Anatolia
circa 1920
Size: 345 x 220 cm
Fifty miles eastward from Kulah in western Anatolia is the city of Ushak, famous during the 15th and 16th centuries for the carpets exported to Europe to adorn the halls of cathedrals and palaces.
With the subsequent decline in all things artistic in the Ottoman Empire from the end of the 17th century, not much happened in the small town of Ushak, although smaller so-called Transylvanian rugs are often attributed to Ushak during this period.
Carpet production did revive towards the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries and these carpets found great favour as roomsize decorative ‘Turkey” carpets – particularly those with more muted colours and all over repeating patterns.
