Antique Timuri Prayer-Rug, Yaqoub Khani Tribe, Borderlands ...

Item Ref
BM/SJ4

Private Collection just acquired.
This beautiful prayer-rug, made circa 1880 by Timuri Yaqoub Khani tribes, is as finely knotted as they come!
It has been hanging on a wall for many years and has survived in near-mint condition with complete 'elems' or skirts at each end. The central field and hand-panels are knotted in natural, undyed camel-hair and comprises an intricately-drawn 'tree-of-life' in the centre. An amazing rug an d certainly best of type.
Size: 1.50 x 0.79m (4' 11" x 2' 7").
£4,750

Antique Baluch Rug, Bahluli Sub-Tribe, Khorassan Province, ...

Item Ref
BM2255

This is an extremely rare, small rug, symmetrically knotted by the Bahluli tribe of Khorassan Province, north-east Persia circa 1870-1880.
Because of the small, squarish size, it makes me consider that this might have been made as a 'masnad' - a seating rug for the chief of the tribe to sit on.
The woollen pile is soft and lustrous throughout and what is particularly attractive is the myriad of small quadrupeds - deer or gazelle - dominating the field. Note too, the soft, madder-red ground containing a fabulous abrash in the top part of the field and surrounded by one simple, glowing blue main border.
The rug is in excellent condition and whether in the past it might have had kilim skirts, that we will never know!
This rug is unique and I haven't seen another like it.
Size: 1.00 x 0.95m (3' 3" x 3' 1").
£4,000

Antique Dining Sofreh, Baluch Djan Beghi Tribe, ...

Item Ref
BM/SJ9

Private Collection just acquired.
Yet another gem from a small private collection in excellent condition and made by Djan Beghi tribes in the environs of Saleh Abad and Tayebad, Khorassan Province, north-eastern Persia circa 1880.
The dining sofreh was a prized possession amongst the tribes and was never intended for sale. This special sofreh would have been brought out for important guests, spread on the floor of the tent and bowls of food, water and chai placed upon it. The tribes-people and guests would then sit around the sofreh, cross-legged and enjoy food and conversation.
This special piece has an undyed camel-hair field comprising an extremely delicate 'tree-of-life' with stylised members of the tribe depicted at the very top. The sofreh is complete with plain-weave chevron skirts at each end.
Size: 1.27 x 0.71m (4' 2" x 2' 4").
£2,800

Antique Prayer-Rug, Baluch Tribes, Khorassan Province, North-East ...

Item Ref
BM2156

This rare, small size Baluch prayer-rug has a beautiful drawing of the 'tree-of-life' on a natural camel-hair field and unusual yet striking, palmette in the prayer niche.
The hand-panels contain a simply-drawn 'tree' in each, again on natural camel-hair background.
In excellent condition and dating to circa 1880, this charming little rug retains its original plain-weave ends.
Size: 1.42m x 0.76m (4' 8" x 2' 6").
£1,100

Antique Timuri Main Carpet, Western Afghanistan.

Item Ref
BM660

To Timuri and Baluch collectors, this carpet can only be described as fabulous! Albeit worn in the centre and also with corroded brown, it still glows as the best of Timuri carpets do. Look at the brocaded ends - just magnificent and complete! There is only one small area of repiling in the top right-hand corner where there was a slight ruck due to the tightness of the brocaded skirts, otherwise it is completely original.I hope it goes to a good home - to someone who will treasure it.
Size: 2.19m x 1.44m (7' 2" x 4' 9").
SOLD

Antique Prayer-Rug, Timuri - Yaqoub Khani Sub-Tribe, ...

Item Ref
BM/RMI

This is undoubtedly the best Timuri Yaqoub Khani namazlyk (prayer-rug) that exists in the world market today. A bold statement, but having handled and being aware of what is in private collections world-wide, I have never seen such a complete and mint-condition piece as this one!
Acquired from a private collection in Mashad in north-eastern Iran last month, I can only guess that this rug was made for an important person at the end of the nineteenth century, possibly hardly used and kept in a 'bokcha' (special dowry bag), totally preserved with its complete brocaded skirts. Amazing!
The extremely finely knotted natural camel-hair field contains the symbolic 'tree-of-life' rising upwards from the underworld, the branches in the earthly world leading to the spiritual realms. The brocaded skirts have highlights of silver and gold thread woven into the nesting birds as can be seen in the close-up photos, indicating this was commissioned by a wealthy member of the tribe, possibly the Khan himself.
This is a hugely important rug and highly collectable.
Size: 1.65m x 0.78m (5' 5" x 2' 7").
SOLD

Antique Timuri Prayer-Rug, Timuri Tribes, Borderlands of ...

Item Ref
BM/MI3

This Timuri 'namazlyk' (prayer-rug) is as good as they come! Made circa 1870-1880, the central field incorporates the 'Dokhtar-e-Qazi' shrub and it's possible that this prayer-rug was made by the Dokhtar-e-Qazi sub-tribe. The light areas throughout the rug are knotted in magenta silk which suggests this prayer-rug was made for a very important person within the tribe - possibly the chief himself! This rug incorporates 'trees-of-life' in the upper hand-panels and it retains its original flat-woven skirts at each end.
The rug is in excellent overall condition and pieces like this today in the world marketplace are very rare.
Size: 1.53m x 1.26m (5' 0" x 4' 2").
SOLD

Antique Baluch Tribal Rug, Khorassan Province, North-East ...

Item Ref
BM/Baluch

Rare, early Baluchis like this one are few and far between and particularly in such very good condition.
Made around 1860 in Khorassan Province, north-eastern Persia, a similar example can be seen in the V & A collection, but not as early as this one! The intense indigo-blue field depicts a serrated leaf adjoining flower-heads - possibly nectar-blossom - and the continuous vine main border symbolises the eternal cycle of life. This fabulous Baluch is in excellent condition with a few expertly-done repairs and retains its long chevron skirts at each end.
This rug is among the best of nineteenth century Khorassan Baluch rugs and is highly collectible.
Size: 2.50m x 1.30m (8' 3" x 4' 3").
SOLD

Antique Timuri Carpet, Timuri Tribes, Western Afghanistan. ...

Item Ref
SJ1

The best Timuri carpet I've ever laid my eys upon! I can honestly say that. The carpet is superb in every way - a date of mid 19th century, very good condition but more importantly, a fabulous wealth of vegetable colours ranging from deep indigo-blue, sky blue, turquoise, aubergine, madder-red, corroded dark brown, highlights of ivory and a tiny amount of yellow. The flat-woven skirts are intact although were possibly slightly longer when first made. The four large archaic lozenges on either side of the six 'snowflake' motifs in the central field contain typical Timuri 'trees'. The whole carpet gives a feeling of immense power and is a magnificent testament to the much under-appreciated work of the Timuri.
Size: 2.92m x 2.08m (9' 7" x 6' 10").
SOLD

Antique Prayer-Rug, Timuri Tribes, Western Afghanistan.

Item Ref
BM/AE5

This must rank as one of the very best 19th century Timuri prayer-rugs I've had the great pleasure of owning for a very short while. I knew as soon as it was advertised, it would fly out - like the proverbial flying carpet! The condition was near-mint - beautiful soft, glossy vegetable-dye wool and complete with flat-woven skirts. It was previously acquired in the 1940s from a well-known carpet dealer in the West End of London and found its way to the Antipodes. I find myself very lucky to acquire it and now pass it on to someone who will, I know, treasure it.
Size: 1.50m x 1.20m (4' 11" x 3' 11").
SOLD

Antique Mushwani Tribal Rug, Sistan Province, South-East ...

Item Ref
BM/Mushwani

Mushwani tribal rugs in this small size are rare. This rug is an exceptional example of the type with full, lustrous, glossy wool and and a phenomenal use of natural green. The rug is in excellent overall condition with only a few tiny areas of restoration and made circa 1860-1870. The nearest example to this one is illustrated in my 3rd edition 'Tribal Rugs - Treasures of the Black Tent' on page 77, another exceptional example but in a more standard size. The Mushwani tribe inhabit the mountains south of the Amu Darya river in the provinces of Herat, Badghis and Sistan and are ofter mistaken for 'Baluch'. Having mountain sheep accounts for the spectacular long staple, glossy wool - a rug which needs to be seen and handled to fully appreciate the quality.
This rug has been given a full-page advertisement in the recent issue (216) of HALI magazine.
Size: 1.70m x 1.21m (5' 7" x 4' 0").
SOLD

Antique Timuri Tribal Rug, Khaf Valley, Borderlands ...

Item Ref
BM/PC

A very rare and beautiful small, square rug of the Timuri tribes, who in this case, were based in the region of the Khaf Valley in north-eastern Persia and bordering north-western Afghanistan.
Made around the mid 19th century, the beautiful shades of glowing indigo-blue was a trademark of the Timuri as well as the typical Timuri weave - quite different to their near-neighbours, the Baluch.
The beautiful blue field contains 'Khaf guls' spontaneously placed throughout.
In all my years trading in the best of early tribal rugs, I have never come across a small rug like this one, and in what I see, as a miniature carpet of the Timuri! Take a look at the small close-up photos to see the true colours and note the row of small quadrupeds at the base of the blue ground.
Overall, this magnificent rug is in very good condition, bar some minor wear at the top part of the blue field.
This rug has been in my personal collection for some time and, although I'm sad to part with it, I have had great enjoyment from it and hope the next person will enjoy it as much as me! Very collectable.
Size: 1.53m x 1.14m (5' 0" x 3' 9").
SOLD