Rug, Azerbaijan, late 19th century.

Carpet, hand knotted woollen pile on woollen warp and weft.

WARP: white and shades of brown wool plied together; Z2S; 12 threads per inch (46 per dm).

WEFT: red wool at the ends and between there is a combination of 1 red and 1 brown, possible to enhance areas in the field; Z spun, unplied; 2 shoots after each row of knots; 6 knots per inch (23 per dm).

PILE: wool; 8 colours: red, light red, yellow, green, dark blue, light blue, dark brown, white; symmetrical knot tied around 2 threads; 36 knots per sq. inch (529 per sq. dm).

SIDE FINISH: missing but originally one cord oversewn with red wool.

END FINISH: Lower: incomplete but with 2" (5 cms)of plain weave with red wool. Upper: incomplete but with 2" (5 cms) of plain weave with red weft and evidence of warp twining at the very bottom.

DESIGN: Field: red field with three large squares between four pairs of small squares containing stars; the large squares contain horned diamonds. Each diamond contains smaller diamonds.

Main border: white ground with diamonds with large hooks.
Inner and outer border: red ground with floral meander with mostly white cartouche-like leaves.
Outermost border: brown (or blue at the top) and red blocks between yellow stripes.

Bequeathed by Miss D. B. Simpson

Mentioned and illustrated in "Caucasian Rugs in the V & A", by M. Franses and R. Pinner (intro. by Donald King). Hali 1980, Vol. 3, No. 2, p. 96

Bequest of Miss D B Simpson (dec'd), Millstones, Slindon.
RPs: for details see T.114-1977

Much of the pile has worn away from the central part of this carpet, revealing the plain weave formed by the warp and weft. Red and brown wool have been used for the weft: red towards the lower and upper ends and a combination one red thread and one brown per shoot elsewhere.

T.116-1977