Antique Persian Ferahan Sarouk "Missing Link" Rug circa 1910 3x5 Natural Dyes

Description: An amazing one-of-a-kind and all-original Sarouk with all natural dyes and incredible pile. This one is for the Sarouk collectors out there! If you love old Persian rugs then you have probably read Oriental Carpet Design by PRJ Ford, which is an excellent reference in almost all ways. No doubt were you taken aback by what must be one of the most inflammatory and divisive statements in all of rug literature when in the opening sentence of the American Saruq section on pg 280 Ford states: "We come now to one of the great abortions of oriental carpet design... namely the total corruption and irretrievable elimination of the ancient design traditions of the Saruq/Ferahan region." For many of us in the United States with fond memories of family Sarouks this comment bites deep and leaves one with a certain sense of shame, perhaps surpassed only when looking at an otherwise excellent old Hamadan that has been painted pink by the importers of the first part of the 20th century. After rightfully bemoaning the loss of traditional Ferahan designs Ford then goes on to state the origins of what he calls the American Saruq style: "In the early 1920's Mr S. Tyriakian, the local representative of K. S. Taushandjian in New York, produced a pattern that perfectly suited the American demand for thick-piled carpets in an all-over style: a sort of Axminster design - just simple sprays of inconsequential flowers strewn more or less at random all over the carpet." Ford leads the reader to the belief that the American Sarouk style sprung principally from the minds of American importers and was thus far removed from the original Sarouk rugs of the late nineteenth and very early twentieth centuries. Clearly Mr Ford had never seen an example such as the rug offered here before casting his judgement on the American Sarouk! If so he would have been less certain in his assessment that the pattern did not come from the region. What is incredible about this rug, other than the condition and quality, is the fact that it clearly shows a stylistic link in the evolution from the "traditional" Sarouk style so beloved by rug collectors to the "abortion" that is the American Sarouk so beloved by Americans from the 1920's later. For this reason I call this rug the "Missing Link Sarouk". Take the medallion; this example is smaller and more restrained than earlier examples yet the edges are still distinct and have not completely transformed into the typical sprays of flowers radiating from the center of Sarouks from the 1920's. Likewise the floral pattern in the field has not yet devolved to the random sprays of flowers so despised by Ford, but it is clear that the islimis (connecting branches) have become a hindrance to the goals of the weaver to put more flowers into the field. The combination of a thick pile and desire for more flowers has led to somewhat wonky islimis, the charm of which is still greatly enhanced by the individual weaver's style in the form of simple botehs drawn here and there among the flowers. This individualism was a common trait in old Sarouks that became all but extinct as the production became more commercialized. For most weavers the answer to wonky islimis due to thick piles would naturally have been to remove the islimis and leave the flowers. This resulted in the "inconsequential flowers strewn more or less at random" of the American Sarouk which was so popular in the 1930's. While it certainly is possible and even likely that Mr S Tyriakian may have influenced certain stylistic traits for Sarouks at the time it is clear from the existence of the Missing Link Sarouk that the basics of the American Sarouk pattern already existed within the iconography of the weavers of the region. It is thus more likely that the style developed as a natural dialog between the weavers and the buyers rather than being forced on the weavers by any one unscrupulous American importer, as contended by Ford. Another aspect of this rug that shows a Sarouk in transition is the relatively thick pile for the time. Early Sarouks had close-cropped piles, which was contrary to the wishes of twentieth-century American buyers accustomed to wearing shoes and boots in their houses. Thin-piled rugs wear quickly in such conditions, lasting only a few years. (Imagine the great Turkoman's that have been lost!) The Missing Link Sarouk shows the beginnings of the transition to the thick piles of the 1920's and 1930's. I would estimate the overall pile on this rug to be about 80% of the original, with the usual pattern of wear so that there are spots in the middle that are maybe about 60% and spots on the corners are probably near 100%. One part of the rug has a small section that is down to the knots, no doubt the result of an entanglement with a vacuum beater brush. In places the usual white foundation knot heads have emerged from the pile. A professional rug seller may suggest you dye these to help them blend in with the pile, but I have left them as is. Though the ground pattern shows clear links to past Sarouk designs the border has almost completely transitioned to the Sarouk border that became standard in the 1920's and 1930's. The corner medallions have almost disappeared from the design. The full transition from the Sarouk of the late 1800's to the American Sarouk of 1930 appears to be just around the corner. Given the style of the pattern I would place its weaving at around 1910. It is in fine condition for the age. The colors which are clearly of natural origins appear to be completely without fading. The fringe is original and nearly intact with some small loss to the knots in two of the corners. These corners have been roughly stabilized to prevent further loss. The selvage appears to be original with a few frayed spots but still very usable. The knot count is about 14 x 17 per inch for a kpsi of around 240. The knots on the back have a sheen that I can only describe as "metallic" but it is just great shiny wool. In this way the browns look like copper and brass and the greys and blues look like steel. The handle of the rug is firm, and while like most Sarouks it should be rolled rather than folded it does not have the somewhat brittle foundation typical of many older Sarouks. As is often seen in a nomad rug and at times with a village rug it appears the rug was removed from the loom at about 75% completion, and when it was put back on the loom there resulted differences in rug orientation and some of the dyes change slightly. Slight changes in weaving style and capability indicate it may have been finished by a second weaver. (When I see this sort of thing I always wonder about the nature of the life-changing events that may have caused the situation.) This fact, the small size, the relative spontaneity of elements of the design - all show that the rug was woven in a village setting, not in a mass-production environment, and therefore that the basic design elements of the rug (and of later Sarouks) was well-established in the minds of village weavers at this time. These elements were not "produced" by Mr S Tyriakian's own mind, though he may have selected for them and therefore made them more popular with the pattern makers and weavers. The quality of the wool in this rug is incredible. It has the light-shifting properties of great quality wool that has been hand-combed. It is slick feeling to the touch, both dry and greasy at the same time. Many pictures above were taken outdoors in full sunlight to show detail; the rug darkens considerably indoors under incandescent light. This dark color is usually desirable in houses with wood floors and dark furniture and this led the importers of the first half of the twentieth century to paint rugs considered too light for the average American household and to commission rugs with dark burgundy colors such as the later "American" Sarouks. The Missing Link Sarouk is even more rare in that it has a relatively light field that was left unpainted and therefore shows the true intent of the weaver. The natural golden-orange field is unlike any I have ever seen before; in the sunlight it makes you melt when you see it with the other colors sparkling among it like jewels. Depending on location and lighting the character of the rug changes throughout the course of the day from a rich mysterious duskiness to a somber moodiness to almost a pastel-like softness to a vibrant interplay of color. Subtle abrash in the field further lends charm and complexity to the way the entire rug is perceived in the mind's eye. Despite the small size the visual richness of the rug makes it difficult to take it all in at once. This is a rug lover's rug, and I guarantee that it will captivate you as it has me. Its combination of size, quality, rareness, condition, and place in stylistic history are unmatched in the market. If you don't agree please show me something comparable, I'd love to see it! 61" x 39 1/2" Additional photos available on request. I reserve the right to cancel any transaction.

Price: 17400 USD

Location: Boulder, Colorado

End Time: 2024-03-07T02:21:43.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD