Antique Large Kilim, Pirot, Southern Serbia.

Item Ref
BM2065

A magnificent large, nearly square, decorative kilim made and dated 1913 in the Pirot area of southern Serbia.
The colours are beautiful, as are the nicely spaced large diamond lozenges, 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.
Size: 4.00m x 3.90m (13' 2" x 12' 9").
£5,500

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.
Oh well, at least I can enjoy it while it lasts!!
Size: 1.25 x 1.15m (4' 1" x 3' 9").
£2,350

Antique Dining Sofreh, Timuri Tribes, Borderlands of ...

Item Ref
BM2113

This rare and unusual small dining sofreh with its ivory woollen ground, appears to incorporate a very stylised tree pattern. Made during the third quarter of the nineteenth century by Timuri tribes in the borderlands between north-eastern Persia and north-western Afghanistan, it is in excellent condition.
Note the zig-zag borders all the way round the sofreh, symbolising the eternal cycle of life.
Dining sofrehs or flat-weaves, were made to be laid out on the floor of the tent during mealtimes when the tribes-people would sit around, crosslegged, and eat from the sofreh.
Size: 90cm x 40cm (3' 0" x 1' 4").
£1,450

Antique 'Ru Korssi', Timuri Tribes, Borderlands of ...

Item Ref
BM2007

The 'Ru Korssi' was a flat-woven decorative cover for the 'mangal' - a wooden frame placed in the tent or mud-brick dwelling under which bowls of burning charcoal were placed. The mangal was then covered with blankets and on the very top, was place the symbolic, decorative cover, the ru korssi.
This stunning ru korssi was woven by Timuri tribes during the last quarter 19th century and incorporates three 'trees-of-life' in the central natural aubergine ground and on either side protected by powerful borders.
The horizontal borders at the top and bottom contain one border line in knotted-pile. Also note at the very bottom of the aubergine field, two differing symbols on either side of the central tree.
I believe this represents the male and female symbols representing eternal life and fertility.
Size: 1.52m x 1.42m (5' 0" x 4' 8").
£1,450

Antique Dining Sofreh, Baluch Tribes, Khorassan Province, ...

Item Ref
BM2038

The dining sofreh was in the main, flatwoven and brocaded although there are exceptions as in those of the Djamshidi which are mainly pile-knotted. The dining sofreh was positioned on the floor of the tent during mealtimes and bowls of food, bread, water and chai placed upon it. The tribespeople would then sit cross-legged around the sofreh, enjoying a tasty meal and good conversation.
This stunning sofreh was made by Baluch tribes in Khorassan province, north-east Persia at the end opf the 19th century and depicts two camel-hair panels with three 'trees-of-life' in each panel. On either side of the camel-hair panels, plain-weave chevrons and brocaded work predominate.
This is a charming example of non-commercial, utilitarian nomadic weaving which would look amazing either hanging on a wall or decorating the floor.
Size: 1.65m x 0.62m (5' 5" x 2' 0").
£1,150

Antique Tribal Bread Sofreh, Kordi Nomads, Quchan ...

Item Ref
BM1918

I just love the charm of this little flatweave sofreh - a woven cloth for kneading the dough to make the wonderful 'lavash' or flat-bread. Woven in basic nomadic conditions on a very narrow loom, where two parts were woven separately and then sewn together, joining up almost perfectly!
The border has been knotted in pile and within the un-dyed ivory ground, the weaver has depicted various important symbols and some animals. The weaver was of Kurdish origin, part of the Kurds who were focibly moved from Kurdistan to Quchan in north-eastern Persia in the 15th century. This charming little bread sofreh dates to the last quarter of the 19th century.
Size: 94cm x 91cm (3' 1" x 3' 0").
£650

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 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