Antique Soumak Carpet, Lesghi Region, South Daghestan, ...

Item Ref
BM1987

A most attractive Soumak carpet in very good overall condition with just a few minor repairs.
Woven in the Lesghi area of South Daghestan in the eastern Caucasus around 1900, the simple use of natural reds and blues makes for a handsome and decorative carpet.
Size: 3.80m x 2.20m (12' 6" x 7' 3")
£3,000

Antique Bread Sofreh, Afshar Tribes, Kerman Province, ...

Item Ref
BM2087

Searching through uninteresting rug auction sites and being offered so many boring commercial rugs these days, what a joy it is, very occasionally, to find an exciting antique rug, bag or a magnificent bread sofreh like this one! This is what I love about 'the find'! It doesn't happen every day, week or month, but when it does, it makes me very happy.
I found this stunning flat-weave sofreh - originally used by the nomads for kneading dough on to make the delicious flat-bread - in a tiny little, mainly modern rug store in Istanbul recently. Not a shop I would have normally entered but a quick glance into the shop revealed this beautiful weaving displayed on the wall!
I had to have it and a deal was done! As much as I'd like to keep it, I can't keep everything so here it is.
The spontaneous drawing and mix of blues, reds and yellow in the zig-zags and the charming little stars around the outside, remind me of the night sky.
Made by Afshar nomads in Kerman province, south Persia circa 1910-1920, all the colours are natural and it is complete with beautifully brocaded ends.
The overall condition is very good albeit it has a very slight stain and an old repair near the centre.
Oh well, at least I can enjoy it while it lasts!!
Size: 1.25 x 1.15m (4' 1" x 3' 9").
£1,850

Antique Dining Flat-Weave 'Sofreh', Kordi Tribes of ...

Item Ref
BM2127

Recently arrived from Mashad, north-eastern Iran, this handsome dining flat-weave or 'sofreh' in Persian, with its natural camel-hair field and beautifully brocaded skirts at each end.
Made during the first half of the 20th century, this sofreh, if ever used, would have been made to spread out on the floor of the tent or mud-brick dwelling and food placed upon it at mealtimes. The Kordi tribes-people would then sit around the sofreh cross-legged and enjoy good food and conversation.
The Kordi tribes are of Kurdish origin with around 4,000 people having been forcibly moved from Kurdistan into Khorassan by Shah Isma'il during the 1524-1576 period in order to strengthen and protect the area from the marauding Turkmen!
Size: 2.67m x 1.00m (8' 9" x 3' 3").
£1,450

Antique Kilim, Shahsevan Tribes of Moghan, Azerbaijan. ...

Item Ref
BM/PM1

This magnificent kilim was made circa 1880 by Shahsevan tribes in the Moghan region of Azerbaijan.
The natural colours are truly fabulous and the kilim is in excellent overall condition with no repairs.
The field contains diagonal bands of small tree symbols, surrounded by a powerful border containing small 'birds-heads' motifs.
Note how the outer border, which depicts the 'laleh abbasi' border, appears to get smaller as the weaver either progressed towards the completion of the kilim or alternatively, she may have started with a smaller motif, then making it larger, as she may have realised it wasan't powerful enough? I leave this to your imagination!
Size: 3.66m x 1.96m (12' 0" x 6' 5").
SOLD

Antique Large Kilim, Region of Kotel, Bulgaria. ...

Item Ref
BM2080

A magnificent large, nearly square, decorative kilim made and dated 1913 in the Kotel area of Bulgaria.
The colours are beautiful, as are the nicely spaced large diamond lozenges referred to as 'kadrovi zvezdi' or curling stars and surrounded by a powerful midnight-blue main border. The date, 1913, can be seen woven into the top right-hand corner of the main border. A similar example to this is on permanent display in the Kotel Kilim Museum and dated 1906.
Size: 4.00m x 3.90m (13' 2" x 12' 9").
SOLD

Antique Kilim, Senneh, Persian Kurdistan.

Item Ref
BM1700

This beautiful and elegant kilim from the Senneh region of Persian Kurdistan, must rank as one of the very best I've handled in 40 years of dealing in antique rugs and kilims. Made during the third quarter of the nineteenth century, the weave is not just incredibly fine but the design is very unusual. In the main, the majority of Senneh kilims have a small 'herati' pattern all over but here we see the small 'herati' pattern in the central square surrounding a large, ivory 'eye' and around this central square, are depicted large 'botehs'.
This kilim has been hung on the wall for many years as it came to me with hanging loops attached to the back, and thus it has been preserved and I suspect, a prized possession to the last owner.
Size: 2.00m x 1.27m (6' 6" x 4' 2").
SOLD

Antique Kilim, Qashqa'i Nomads, Fars Province, South-West ...

Item Ref
B17

This stunning kilim, woven by the Qashqa'i nomads in Fars, south-western Persia circa 1900, has just arrived. The natural colours are superb with a wonderful use of sky-blue, golden yellow, madder-red and green. The kilim is in excellent condition with no repairs and will be extremely decorative on the ideal wood floor.
Size: 2.50m x 1.63m (8' 3" x 5' 4").
SOLD

Antique Kilim, Shirvan Region, Eastern Caucasus.

Item Ref
BM1744

The deep indigo-blue ground of this stunning kilim contains a myriad of diamond-shape lozenges and in a few places, stylised creatures - deer or gazelle - are depicted.
Woven in the Shirvan region of the eastern Caucasus around 1900, the kilim is in excellent overall condition with no repairs whatsoever. For a very similar published example, please refer to 'Qaraja to Quba' by Raoul Tschebull, on page 192.
Size: 2.87m x 1.73m (9' 5" x 5' 8").
SOLD

Antique Jajim, Qashqa'i Nomads, Fars Province, South-West ...

Item Ref
BM1599

This stunning flat-woven Jajim - sometimes referred to as a 'Moj' which means 'wave' in Persian, was intricately woven by Qashqa'i nomads in Fars, south-western Persia, circa 1900.
It is extremely unusual in its design - most look like the example in my book 'Tribal Rugs - Treasures of the Black Tent' page 186, if you have access to a copy! Otherwise you know where to find one!! The weaving in these jajims is incredible when you think they were woven on basic ground looms! This technique is highly sophisticated and beats anything woven in kilim-weave and I suspect the weaver in this case was a master at her art. Jajims were mainly used for compartmentalising the tents into rooms and like kilims, were used for covering the bedding around the circumference of the tent and also covering the storage-bags on the camels while on migration. This Moj is harder wearing than a kilim and can be used on the floor with a good underlay to hold it firmly down.
Size: 2.41m x 1.60m (8' 0" x 5' 3").
SOLD

Antique Zili, Azerbaijan.

Item Ref
BM118

The natural colours in this flat-weave or 'zili' are particularly attractive against the Cotswold stone on the outside of my 16th century farmhouse.
Woven in Azerbaijan around 1900, the vertical and horizontal bands with their zig-zag design, reminds me of flowing water - symbolically important in tribal life as in life as a whole!
In excellent condition - 2.29m x 1.76m (7' 6" x 5' 9").
SOLD

Antique Kilim, Shirvan Region, Eastern Caucasus

Item Ref
BM908

This magnificent kilim will enhance any wooden floor in a London apartment or elsewhere. Woven in Shirvan in the eastern Caucasus during the last quarter of the 19th century, this kilim has fabulous vegetable colours and is in very good condition bar a few minor re-weaves.
Size: 3.10m x 1.57m (10' 2" x 5' 2").
SOLD

Antique Kilim, Qashqa'i Nomads, Fars Province, South-West ...

Item Ref
BM1718

A most attractive and decorative 19th century kilim, made by Qashqa'i nomads in south-west Persia circa 1870-1880. Generally in very good useable condition, the kilim has several old re-weaves which don't appear obvious when it is on the floor, and this is reflected in the price.
The fabulous range of colours are all from organic dyes and this can be seen in the various amounts of 'abrash' (changes of colour) throughout and particularly in the magnificent sky-blue. The kilim has been washed and floor ready.
Size: 2.69m x 1.53m (8' 10" x 5' 0").
SOLD