Karabagh rug

Karabagh rug
from the southern Caucasus
late 19th century
Size: 236 x 124 cm

The Caucasus is a melting pot of different tribal and ethnic groups. Prominent amongst the rug weavers are the Azeri Turks, the Armenians, the Kurds and the Talish. Typically, those rugs from the southern Caucasus are considerably coarser in construction and generally long piled compared with weavings from the north.
The vigour and visual power of Kazak or Karabagh rugs have made them much sought after. For some, they lack the refinement of city-made rugs but to judge the merit of a rug by knot count is to miss the point. Many of the most crudely knotted rugs are prized for their vibrant colours and bold design lending an almost barbaric quality to their presence.