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Unable to obtain foreign currency in 1936 for a proposed journey to Paris and Lyon, the 35-year old Kurt Erdmann decided instead on a tour of German museums which was to encompass all available carpet depots.He eventually visited 110 collections in 44 cities, with a total inventory of more than 250 items. The Berlin collection, with nearly 200 pieces the largest group, was not included, nor was the Hapsburg collection in Vienna (Erdmann’s article was published in 1942, when Austria had already been annexed)

This stood him in good stead as curator for the 1950 show at the Museum für Kunst & Gewerbe in Hamburg (MKG). Together with Eric Meyer and P.W Meister he assembled a 160-piece show which aimed to inventorize and display the remaining rug treasures in Germanys' war-torn museum landscape. Berlin, which had lost 20 great carpets , was not included in the show as the pieces were still stored in Kaiserroda. A further 17 items had been purloined and were never seen again, thus inflicting a fatal blow to Berlin’s world-renowned collection.

A real highlight was the participation of Otto Bernheimer. Having survived the war in Venezuela, he contributed 47 items in a deft act of product placement. Other probable contributors were the dealer F.K.A Hülsmann from Hamburg; a number of carpets featured in the show, which were later sold at the legendary Dörling auction in 1985, have been attributed to him.Anonymous donors were simply listed as “Private Collection,Hamburg” or “South German Collection “ The Hamburg Museum itself had few carpets at this time, but this was to change in the coming years. Other Museum contributors were the Ethnographic Museum, the Bavarian National Museum and the Residenz Museum in Munich, the Applied Arts Museum in Frankfurt , and the City Art Collections of Düsseldorf and Köln. A number of interesting historical carpets have never been published; the carpets of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) have not been seen since 1951 , when the exhibition was reloaded at the Ryksmuseum. However, it has been possible to retrieve some very interesting pieces, from Cologne and Düsseldorf; in particular two Chessboard carpets, which are published here for the first time in colour(the smaller of the two was published by Martin in 1908, but in monochrome)

49 carpets were reproduced in the catalogue; the others have either been identified or their near-equivalents are shown for comparison. Many of the missing items are of lesser interest, mostly 19th century production included for instructional purposes. Dr.Erdmann’s text shows signs of haste, especially in the reference material.The initial descriptions were written up from photos at Erdmann 's home in Bonn, and he had just eight days in Hamburg with the original carpets in order to correct.Trying to decipher his catalogue entries is sometimes difficult: the author could not figure out what he meant by Egyptian carpets divided into small squares until he realised that for Erdmann the Chessboard carpets were also Egyptian, an opinion not current today. Like many academic experts, he eschews the use of dealer parlance.For instance both Holbein and Lotto carpets are lumped together as Holbeins, because Erdmann had no valid shorthand for the two types-he would have had to invent names for them anyway. He is sometimes impossibly long-winded, but one accepts the text density due to his phenomenal grip on the material.

Alas, not much has happened to the German Museum attitude to oriental carpets. Many of the missing carpets from 1950 are still unavailable in reproduction, and museum staff are often disinterested.

Yet a very good exhibition could be mounted with the carpets kept outside of Berlin. Since re-unification the former East German Museums, Leipzig, Dresden und Halle might also be persuaded to open their portals. Kurt Erdmann wrote in his carpet travelogue: ”More than once along the way I wondered whether it would not be possible to combine these so widely scattered works of art in one exhibition, as few of my colleagues who are especially interested in carpets would have the time to repeat this journey, and in many museums the pieces have disappeared again into the depots”

Erdmann even gave us a title for the exhibition: “Oriental Carpets in German Museums” An attempt was made to mount such an event during the 1993 ICOC in Hamburg, where Friedrich Spuhler and Ursula Lienert curated a show entitled "Classical Oriental carpets from German Museums"A promised catalogue unfortunately never appeared.

1) Purchased by Bernheimer in 1937 from Weissberger in Madrid, this Mamluk carpet is unusual in having no circular or cusped medallions, as most larger examples have, with a virtually identical centre in each.Instead, an eight-pointed star and an octagonal have been used, the former reminiscent of a lost carpet once in Berlin (1a ).This example is of the three colour variety.After a run-through at Weinmüller in 1960, the carpet was eventually sold at the Bernheimer St. Valentine` s day massacre by Christies on 14 February 1996, lot 100, for $375,000.With Moshe Tabibnia, Milan. 228 x 485 cm.

Mamluk Carpets

2) An unusual three-medallion and three-colour Mamluk carpet in which a kaleidoscope of design has been funnelled onto an undivided field. Erdmann is quite scathing about this giant of a Mamluk (440 x 780 cms) whose pinched borders give it the look of an Aubusson copy. Kept in the Lenbach-Haus in Munich, this fascinating article is neither appreciated nor cared for by its custodians.

3) No good colour photo is available of this three-colour Mamluk,but monochrome is invariably better when studying such items. Erdmann had initially determined the three-colour rugs to be the earliest, but later came to doubt this. However, such simple formulas tend to become part of rug lore. The colour is said to be close to plate 1. Formerly Basserman-Jordan Collection, now Museum Fünf Kontinente, Munich. 119 x 175 cm.

4) A very pretty Mamluk rug with satellite medallions which later sold at the 1985 Dörling auction in Hamburg for 130,000 DM and entered the Bausback Collection. The exact pair, down to the cogwheel-and-star elems, is in the Louvre 119 x 176 cm.

5) A number of transitional Mamluk-Cairene carpets are known, all curiously featuring some type of lattice design.This piece from the Bavarian National Museum in Munich is the most interesting ,and well qualified for a court appearance with its deployment of the Persian split-leaf arabesque placed daringly at the corners of the lattice. It has a sprightly, rhythmic elegance lacking in the other examples, such as the carpets in Berlin,Textile Museum, and the Mercer piece sold at Sothebys in 2000.Perhaps the starting point for this design venture was an Iranian model now lost to us. Only the TM`s rug features the tulip-and-pineapple border usually reserved for medallion carpets, and the lattice design forms the accompanying background, incongruously, for a standard Mamluk medallion.

6) Quite effortlessly, a large heap of leaves has settled on a carpet whose borders are only delineated by two narrow stripes.The leaves conglomerate and form a medallion; further nimbi define an infinite repeat somewhat removed from the corners. No Persian rug ever achieved such a gravity-defying stunt, not even Senator Clark’s LaFoes carpet, which in comparison appears leaden-footed-unlike the Cairene carpet from Frankfurt it has a distinct border. Such examples of wall-to wall continue the Mamluk tradition of vanishing borders, albeit with the introduction of a bright yellow. The missing borders later appear in Transylvania. It is an irony that the most elegant of all Turkish rugs were woven in- Egypt. 147 x 190 cm.

Cairene Carpets

7 & 8)) Rising to the challenge of a burgeoning Turkish market, the Cairene weavers adopted the classic Holbein four-and-one medallion design fleshed out with Saz leaves and Lotus palmettes.Two carpets from the legendary NRW collection demonstrate the differing versions ; one is overtly Turkish, with large and powerful medallions.The other has a sequestered medallion design replete with trimmings.The larger style medallions were frequently used for square carpets. 213 x 265 cm & 137 x 198 cm.

9) A Cairene medallion rug from Bernheimer with a squashed centre, less successful than the Düsseldorf piece (8) Such items were made in two styles, with a medallion decorated either with lotus palmettes or tulips.Those with tulips can sometimes rise to greatness, as in a carpet once with Benguiat and the Wher Collection(9a) The Bernheimer rug sold twice at auction in recent years, first at the Collection sale in 1996 for $ 78,540; and again in 2004 at Christies for $59,225.132 x 191 cm.

10) The superb Dirksen Cairene carpet has interlocking Saz leaves whose basic plan probably influenced the development of the Herati design.The carpet was shown at the 1910 Munich show, and sold for 482,500 GBP at Christies London in 2014. 272 x 242 cm.

11a

11b-Tabibnia

11) Kurt Erdmann wrote more about Egyptian carpets than any other, and the transformation from Mamluk to Cairene is a fascinating field for theories of all kinds, chiefly because one can see it happening historically. The change was swift but did not continue too long; at some point the Cairene carpet tradition was simply wiped out. The Chintamani fragment in the Fünf Kontinente Museum in Munich features a design adapted from Turkish textiles ,but its Egyptian form is somewhat different, displaying three eyes underlined by ragged lips. The original can be seen in a grand carpet in the Grassi Museum in Leipzig, where the motif features as a support for tulips and leaves which grow through it in 3-D fashion(11a) . It also makes a guest appearance in some medallion carpets, notably one with Tabibnia (11b) 41 x 69 cm.

12) A carpet in the Cairene style (see Nr.8) bearing the coats of arms of two Polish families, the Kretkowski and Guldenzstern. There has been an ongoing debate as to its origins, with suggestions ranging from Spain to Iran through Poland. It was published in colour in the 1892 Wienerwerk, with its side borders removed, although they are intact but damaged. Erdmann apologises for the lack of technical information in the catalogue, but it is clear that structure was not his speciality, otherwise we might well know more.The drawing is stiff and wooden, not what one would expect from a Cairene rug. Erdmann believed it to be a Polish copy. Bavarian National Museum,Munich. Woolen pile.Needs to be investigated structurally. 167 x 240 cm.

13) Of the four Chessboard carpets in the show, the first was not 100% identifiable, the second had vanished without a photographic trace, the third had left a photo but has vanished, and only the fourth can be positively identified.But at least now exhibits 14 and 15 have been located. Nr. 13 is, from description and size the carpet which appeared at Nagels in October 1991 and was sold to the Italian trade for DM 575,000. It was with Bernheimer in 1950, yet was not published in the Bernheimer catalogue of 1959 - but neither was the three medallion Mamluk. No other known Chessboard carpet fits the role, so the Nagel/Tabibnia/Zaleski rug will have to do.Interestingly, no provenance has ever been offered for that rug.Erdmann appears to compare the carpet to the Bode item now in the Berlin Museum, but that has an arabesque border, not a cartouche and medallion.195 x 278 cm (Nagel/Zaleski: 190 x 275 cm)

Chessboard Carpets

14 ) From the missing NRW carpet collection, this type A Chessboard had completely vanished, although it was once kept in the Museum of Applied Arts in Cologne. Kühnel refers to it having “ once been owned “ in 1957, and the rug was shipped to Amsterdam for re-exhibiting in 1951.However, recent researches have brought this major example to light. Formerly these carpets were attributed to Cairo, as they were woven using yarn which is SZ-spun. All other oriental carpets are woven with yarn which is ZS. The SZ spin is used by the Copts of Egypt in all their textiles, so at the turn of the century it was taken for granted that not only the Mamluk carpets(with SZ spinning) were Egyptian, but also the Chessboard carpet group.It was Friedrich Sarre who first attributed the Mamluk carpets to Cairo, and Erdmann and the "Berlin-School" followed him. For Erdmann, though, the "Chessboard" carpets were also woven in Cairo. However, the colour and wool in these carpets is clearly Anatolian in feeling, so current thought leans more towards a Damascus or even South-East Turkish attribution. The time-frame for their production hovers between the late 16th and early 17th century. The Köln specimen is a particularly grand example of type, at best compared with the carpet in Berlin which was donated by von Bode. An especial highlight is the arabesque border, usually reserved for larger carpets.The smaller examples are invariably on a 2 oder 3 x 3 grid and feature cartouche borders.

Summing up, we shall never know who created the Chessboard carpet genre. One would have to say that the attributions of most historical carpets are unknown; the names given to them are arbitrary tags; and we shall never determine their true origins. With a seven by five compartment design and a Palmette meander border.Published for the first time. 236 x 398 cm.

15)This small Type B Chessboard carpet from the Düsseldorf City Art Collection has not been seen since its publication by Martin in 1908. It is a true beauty, despite some over-ambitious conservation. A classic 2 x 3 grid Type B carpet.First publication in colour.132 x 146 cm.

16) At least one Chessboard carpet from the show can be positively identified as that sold in 1985 at the Dörling auction.Presumably consigned by the Hamburg art dealer Hülsmann, it was bought by Eberhart Herrmann for 149,500 ($48,697) and subsequently appeared in SOT VII, where it was offered for DM 286,500. Classified as a Type A carpet with 2 x 3 rows.133 x 192 cm.

17) This prayer carpet with a Saf design has been attributed to Safavid Persia and even Southern India (by Ellis). For Erdmann however it belongs in the Salting group which he saw as 18th / 19th century Turkish manufactory. There are no accredited Safavid rugs with such a formalised design, but the carpet does have the silk warp and metal brocading of the Salting group whilst lacking their freedom of expression. A carpet in the TIEM with multiple niche and Ka’ aba design shares the same border, and the Argenti “Polonaise” with Black Stone can also be included in this group, which is presumably early Hereke. It would be interesting to know when this rug entered the Bavarian National Museum. 105 x 156 cm.

17a-1

17a-2

17a-3

Carpaccio

17a) Added seemingly as an afterthought, The Bavarian National Museums fragmented Large-Pattern Holbein carpet is anything but. Erdmann points out the various influences and possible interactions with Mamluk tradition, especially in the plaited Kufi border, also used on a grim old piece in the V&A London.Long carpets with an LPH design are rare, but the Wind carpet, which turned up at a flea-market in Switzerland, is one such.Although it lacks the minor secondaries ,it employs the same border and field design.The Munich piece is often described as missing one small centre section, but a three medallion form is also possible.An attempted reconstruction by Christian Erber is shown here with the Wind Carpet for comparison. Erdmann cites Carpaccio’ s “Amazons” painting from 1517 as an early depiction of the four-and-one Holbein type; it is also interesting for its early depiction of a Chinese saddle-cover. 217 x 351 cm.

18) Weavers of Small-Pattern Holbein rugs rarely had problems with warp tension, so perhaps this piece in the Bavarian National Museum was hung up horizontally for too long, creating the bow shape well known to Turkmen enthusiasts. It is a beautiful example of the plain-ground type, only outdone-depending on one’ s taste-by a carpet once with Battilossi, which sold previously at Finarte in 1992 for $ 220,800(18a) The Battilossi rug employs the same half-moon outer guard also known to Turkmen collectors-after all,this is a Turkmen design. Both pieces employ a good deal of white and yellow. The Battilossi features a similar Kufi border after a sea-change at the lower end.It is also shown here with an example once with Bernheimer and now at Crabtree Farm, Chicago, which is a similar rug on an alternating ground system.The number of pieces using both design systems is about the same and one cannot know which system came first . 112 x 170 cm.

Holbein Carpets

19) A Small Pattern Holbein in mutilated condition, on a plain ground. Still in Düsseldorf. 82 x 113 cm.

20a

20) Well into the 60`s Erdmann maintained the innocence of this rug, which, with its “pair” in the McMullan Collection, is widely held to be a forgery. The original template is a fragment exhibited and published at the MMK event in Munich,1910. From the collection of Martina Limburger, it was recently auctioned at Rippon Boswell Wiesbaden, and is a very beautiful fragment in the Anatolian style. Another Lotto with the arms of the Centurione and Doria families, perhaps the companion to that piece, is kept in Warsaw. Most of the forgeries are in the more prosaic kilim style. MKG,Hamburg (who hosted the exhibition) 141 x 209 cm.

21) A kilim-style Lotto carpet from the Bavarian National Museum in Munich. It would seem to be the only example with a “Four Arrows “ Kufi border and lateral disposition of the major elements. In excellent condition. 103 x 208 cm.

Lotto Carpets

22) An Lotto fragment once in the Art Collection of the City of Düsseldorf. Unaccounted for. Kilim style.78 x 145.No photo available.

23a

23) A Lotto in the ornamented style with a border sometimes seen on later SPH carpets, such as the green ground rug in Budapest and a rug in the Zaleski Collection. 125 x 183.

24a

24b

24) Two fragments from a Lotto carpet in the ornamented style which were once in the Bavarian National Museum in 1950 and which have now been transferred to the Five Continents Museum (the former Ethnographic Museum ) in Munich.The Ornamented style may be a forerunner of the more common Kilim style,as far fewer pieces have been recorded.The border here is also rare, but occurs on a rug in an Italian collection,and another at Nagel in 2015. 165 x115 cm.

25) With a simplified border as in NR.24, and in the kilim style, this is a substantial rug from the missing NRW Collection, published in the catalogue to the Cologne Museum of Applied Art.Professionally woven in a highly-wrought style. 11 x 167 cm.

26) This standard small kilim-style Lotto was sold at Dörling on 14 May 1985, lot 397, for 13,500 DM.Private collection Hamburg,- probably Hülsmann. 113 x 148 cm.

27) It is amazing to visualise the endless variety of animal forms conjured up by the Lotto wizards in their endless search for new figure-ground variations.When floral elements arrived in Anatolia they were immediately animalised.This pretty rug from the Otto Jäger Collection in Chemnitz was sold at Christies in 1981, and re-appeared at the same venue in 2017 ,selling for a well-deserved $56,260. 123 x 175 cm.

28) Presumably a Bergama cogwheel carpet.Erdmann dates it to the early 19th century, but compares it to a very old rug in Mediasch, which is considerably earlier-by up to three centuries. It is enriching to compare such a primeval survivor with the 19th century re-makes from Bergama and Konya.149 x 200 cm.Private collection Hamburg.

29a

29) A rare group of Anatolian carpets with a large angular Palmette border can be studied in this exhibition.There are three types of this carpet:the first,as seen here in a carpet perhaps still in the Folkwang Museum,Essen, has a field of repeating rosettes;the second,as characterised by the Iconic McMullan rug, adds an extra medallion to the rosette field; and the third and most common employs a large hexagonal device in the field.There is not enough information to determine where or even when they were made.The Folkwang rug may be the same piece once owned by E.Herrmann, but the monochrome photo is not good enough to judge. (SOT X)136 x 215 cm.

30a

30) Sold three times at Christies London since 1996, this simple yet charming Bergama rug with an ogival lattice design points in many directions and has been assigned to the 17th and 18th century.A similar carpet is in the Wolf Collection. 166 x 217 cm.

31) Described by Erdmann as a “unique piece” this sweet litlle Tuduc forgery was still being touted as an 18th century item at the Weinmüller sale in 1960, where it seems to have gone unsold against an estimate of 14,000 Mark (!) The ever inventive Tuduc obviously felt it was time for a red ground Selendi. In his review of the exhibition, Erdmann swore there were no fakes, yet he seems to have been stalked by the Rumanian masters' products. 181 x 259 cm.

32) Another missing NRW piece, but it was surely of a rare Ushak type with rows of Palmettes.A rug with Lefevre in 1984 is shown for comparison. 172 x 104 cm.

33) For Erdmann, the Star Ushaks were the most important group of Anatolian carpets,a view which would hardly be shared today. The flower meander border is most common on two Star versions, although this piece from the Applied Arts Museum in Cologne actually only has one full medallion in its endless repeat, rather like a piece at the 1952 Turin Exhibition from Barbieri. Erdmann makes a cardinal error in his description by aligning this piece with the Buccleugh/Boughton House Armorial rug, not realising that the Buccleugh rug is a European copy, an attribution he repeated in his 1957 publication on Turkish rugs. 185 x 305 cm.

34) This impeccably drawn masterpiece creates, at a distance, a ground-figure medallion surrounding the stars.The main border was later adapted for a series of Melas rugs.From Bernheimer, now in the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait. 170 x 286 cm.

35a

35)Another Bernheimer carpet, this was Lot 5 at the 1996 auction but failed to sell.It was re-positioned at the Bernheimer Day Sale in 2015 and fetched 13,750 GBP. Sharing the same design, with non-matching corner medallions, a superior item at Christies in 2017 brought $156,540. 202 x367 cm.

36) Another Large Medallion Ushak (LMU), similar to Nr.35.Private collection,Hamburg. This was sold at Dörling in 1985 (for 14,900 DM)174 x 275 cm. No picture available.

37) Quite a few Small Medallion Ushak (SMU) rugs with the three-chain Nazar in the upper niche have survived.Erdmann introduces the concept of a “double-niche “ here, lately taken up by Transylvanian experts. This piece was said to have been in a South German private collection. A superb example with David Halevim in 1982 can act as a substitute. 105 x 151 cm.

38) Turkish rugs with a cloudband border seem to be inherently more jovial than others. This rug from the Museum Fünf Kontinente in Munich had a counterpart with a piece in another Munich museum-that of Eberhart Herrmann in SOT X-5. 102 x 150 cm.

39) An idiosyncratic SMU with either a blue-grey or green field, depending on which reproduction one trusts. The Christies print is decidedly cheesy with its lurid pink. Assertions to the contrary, the inspiration here is likely to be an animalised book-cover from Iran. The coarseness of design is appealing, causing Erdmann to place the carpet much later than Christies, who sold it in 2016 for $103,245. Ex-Hülsman, Schürmann.,Herrmann, Lehmann-Bärenklau.95 x 149 cm.


40

Selendi Carpets

40) Frankfurt`s Kunstgewerbemuseum has a small but useful collection of rugs, and lent a number of pieces in 1950, including this fragment of a Selendi Bird rug which is actually an animalised collision between two leaves. At least with a fragment one can be certain of authenticity, or? 140 x 69 cm.

41) A second Selendi fragment from Bernheimer, unsold at their sale in 1996, estimate 3,500-5000 GBP; sold at Sothebys on 31 March 2021 (148 ) for 6,048 GBP. 78 x 120 cm.

42a

42) With its Kis Ghiordes border this rug forms a triumvirate with two pieces in Istanbul(42a). Why this carpet was at Hauswedel in 1956, yet still seems to be in the Bavarian National Museum, is anyone’s guess.

43 ) An exercise in black and white with a single line of red demarcating the mihrab displays an animalised floral border set against a field of pious simplicity. Not for the faint-hearted! Bernheimer-Bud Holland-Manilow-Battilossi. 122 x 200 cm.Knotted in the niche direction.

44a

44) Some very interesting interpretations of Iranian medallion carpets were produced in East Anatolia. Bernheimer's explosive “Golden Triangle” carpet uses a Safavid device to project the medallion into the borders. Sold in 1996 for $ 59,905. 162 x 355 cm.

45) Yet another item from Bernheimer-,which also demonstrates Erdmann's foresight as a connoisseur.Such rugs as this Karapinar were not appreciated in his time.The current ice-cold conservation robs the rug of its jollity, but then again its old repaired state seems pretty debauched. 216 x 320 cm.

More info

46a

46) A rare type of 19th century Karapinar rug from the Five Continents Museum in Munich.Ascribed by Erdmann to East Anatolia, but with colour from the Konya area (?) 120 x 120 cm (obviously a typo)

47a-Schmutzler 49

47 ) Of the type without vases, this Transylvanian rug has a rare zig-zag medallion design.Otherwise it quite resembles a piece in Brashov (Schmutzer 49) Exhibited by Bernheimer in Chicago in 1926, it later passed to Ulrich Schürmann and was then published by Eberhart Herrmann in SOT VI (5) 119 x 175 cm.

48) White-ground Transylvanian rugs are a rarity-those with an extra white-ground border even more so.This Bernheimer piece was also illustrated in Neugebauer-Troll,plate 23. It sold in 1996 for 44,400 GBP. 123 x 170 cm.

49a

49) Once in the Bavarian National Museum, but subsequently transferred to the Five Continents Museum in Munich, this Transylvanian rug combines a classic border with a field design derived from a Small Medallion Ushak. A similar rug was published in Tapis Turc, plate 14. 188 x 150 cm.

50a

50) A Ghiordes prayer rug with the Horseshoe mihrab ( or “Sultan ‘ s Head”) and a lively border.Far removed from the parochial later types.Two further examples in colour are offered for comparison.The author once considered the possibility that such rugs depict portraits of actual individuals, in silhouette as it were.Really! From Bernheimer. 125 x 195 cm.

51) A superior Transylvanian prayer rug which seems to have subsequently vanished. Though not related directly to the classical Siebenburgen rugs, they are of the time and surely the place.Of this type, with floral spandrels, yellow-white field and a panel above the mihrab, the author has recorded another six examples. Shown for example in colour is a rug from the Lucas Collection, which sold for $ 104,250 in 2001, and a rug published by Herrmann in SOT III. 119 x 175 cm.

52) An unassuming and worn Transylvanian rug which sold at the Bernheimer Sale in 1996 for 10,350 GBP. Compared to plate 51, this type has the more pedestrian "stiff-flower" spandrels. 123 x 165 cm.

53a

53b

53) This white-ground/white-border Transylvanian rug from the Hülsman stock was sold at Dörling in 1985 and appeared that year in Herrmann the Seventh. Its price of DM 82,800 ($ 26,970) then seemed high, but in 2014 it sold again for $ 40,950. Without doubt a masterpiece of serenity, it has few rivals.Another related group were produced with indented medallions, and one such in Sebes is inscribed with the date of 1698. 112 x 157 cm.

54) A blue ground Ghiordes prayer rug,South German provenance,probably similar to a piece from Eberhart Herrmann sold at Sothebys in 2020 for 6,250 FBP. 137 x 202 cm.

55) A so-called “Kis-Ghiordes” carpet, Hamburg collection. Of the later type in which cotton is used for the white pile. Two such rugs are in the Ballard Collection. 127 x 198 cm.

56) A blue ground Kula prayer rug with two columns and a flower border.There are not too many of these pieces in exactly this configuration-most are red ground.Two pieces are offered by way of comparison. MKG, Hamburg. 106 x 157 cm.

57) A kula prayer, once with Bernheimer. Brown field with two columns and striped border. A brown field rug has not been traced, such rugs are always on a blue ground. 122 x 180 cm.

57a

57a) A rare group of Kula rugs feature large bulbous palmettes on a red ground with the typical Khotan-style meander border. They were made in sizes from 2- 9 palmettes. The Otto Jäger rug with three Palmettes has not re-appeared. 109 x 226 cm.

58a

58) From a Hamburg Collection, this missing item was presumably a type of Kis Ghiordes-Kula hybrid, of which series were produced in the late 19th century, perhaps by dealers request. Thus the local character of the individual rugs slowly disappeared and a weave-on-demand style evolved. 116 x 214 cm.

59) Red ground Kula prayer rug,Hamburg Collection. 116 x 156 cm.

60) Kula prayer rug (?) with palmettes as in exhibit 58. Hamburg Collection. 119 x 214 cm.

61) The Bernheimer `s famous Davanzati-style Column prayer rug,also shown in Chicago in 1926. 108 x 156 cm.

Davanzati Carpets

62) Apart from an unusual border, this is a standard Ladik prayer rug with the tulips placed above the mihrab. Sold at Dörling in 1986 for a surprising 16,000 DM. 108 x 156 cm.

63) A three-niche Ladik with the tulips placed below the field.South German provenance.(Not illustrated) 115 x 180 cm.

64) A damaged Ladik prayer rug which sold at the Bernheimer Sale, lot 115, for 575 GBP. 90 x 164 cm.

65) Another Ladik prayer rug in the Transylvanian style.A piece published by Iten-Maritz corresponds closely. 99 x 105 cm. Private collection Hamburg.

66) A group of double-column pieces represent a further abstraction from the prayer rug theme.There are two types: one with a thicker, decorated column, probably later than a group with finer columns which are generally more successful. Nr. 66 sold at Dörling in 1986 for 5200 DM.There is no photo of it ,but it's said to have been dated 1711/1712 (visible only from the back in the midst of a large repair) Private collection Hamburg. 126 x 167 cm.

67 ) Erdmann goes to great lengths to describe a diverse group of 19th century rugs which he attributes way too early on the grounds of a dated piece once with Schefik Pasha (1760-61) They approximate the concept of European style postulated by Ottoman taste.For some reason he assigns Kirshehir to East Anatolia. With R. Tamm, Bonn. 95 x 151 cm. Four similar rugs are shown.

68) Red-ground Mujur rugs come in two varieties;one has a prominent V-shape in both spandrels,and may contain a small water-pitcher below; the other has just a simple water-pitcher.Both types are illustrated here. Private collection, Hamburg. 106 x 164 cm.

69a

69b-The Taj Mahal

69) The iconic Bernheimer Saf was later purchased by Erdmann for the Berlin Museum. Woven sideways from left to right, the lazy lines are more visible in the black and white photo.It resembles a knotted Kilim, and might well be shown next to the legendary Kilim Saf, also in Berlin.It vaguely recalls the simplicity of an Indian Dhurrie; Hannah Erdmann pointed out the similarity to the paving of the Taj Mahal. A second fragment is said to exist with six niches and two half-niches on two rows. The Berlin rug started from the left side with a half-niche and is not cut.130 x 327 cm.

70b-70c

70d

70)The Persian section starts with an important fragment of an Animal Carpet which after its exhibition in 1950 returned almost 50 years later to be re-united with its upper half, which had been purchased from Ulrich Schürmann in 1967.This noble pact is discussed here, plate 58:

Persian Animal Carpet

71) A Red-Ground Floral carpet fragment from the Lenbach-Haus in Munich. No photo available. Very worn. 173 x 373 cm.

72a

72) A Red-Ground Floral Herat carpet fragment from the Düsseldorf Art Collection.According to Erdmann a two-plane Spiral-Vine system is a later variation, although he offers no justification for this. The forked-leaf Palmette border occurs on another Herat carpet from the Dirksen collection, and is found also amongst the vase carpets. 142 x 160 cm.

73) From a South German Collection this Herat carpet has a cartouche border of which at least 16 examples are known, some of Indian origin. The ends have been rewoven, but something strange has also happened to the side borders, which seem to have been cut and joined. A fair comparison is a carpet in Coimbra, Portugal, which has metal-thread brocading. 121 x 186 cm.

74) A fragment from a small-size RGF rug in the Cologne Museum of Applied Art with a crude Palmette border. 123 x 56.

75) Although Christina Klose was credited with the re-attribution of such carpets to Khorasan (instead of Kerman) Erdmann seems to have been the author of this idea.He accurately refers to the technical differences between the two areas and speaks of the colour differences, whilst clearly recognising the debt to the vase carpet makers. In fact,no vase carpet with this exact configuration exists-the design is a synthesis of different styles, and the border often occurs in a group of RGF carpets which may well have been made in India.There seems to have been quite a coming and going of artistic impulses between India and Herat. This fragment too has also led something of a charmed life, having sold at the 1996 Bernheimer Sale for 8050 GBP. It then re-appeared at the Mikaelov Sale at Christies in 1997, and was last seen at Christies Opulence Auction in 2016. 184 x 206 cm.

76) The lush hypnotic effect achieved by this carpet and its marshalled rows of spindly shrubs is quite different to the equivalent vase carpet variant. No South Persian rug ever achieved such a lightness of touch and elegance: the vase carpets, with their massive technique, are more cumbersome.

Sold at the Bernheimer Sale in 1996 for $ 46, 050 ,and not heard of since. 186 x 451 cm.

77) Bernheimer`s vase carpet fragment is simply one of the greatest textiles ever created. It blithely pirouettes through the air where other lungs burst. Described more fully here: Plate 21

78) An unidentified vase carpet fragment from Bernheimer. 53 x 95 cm.No photo available.

79b

79c

79) Although described as a vase carpet in Christies 1996 sales catalogue, where it failed to sell, this is an arabesque carpet with vases facing off in the centre. It is not a particularly good example of the genre, as two superior items illustrated here clearly show. What appears to be a retro version of the design was published in Bernheimers' 1959 catalogue as a Karabag. The carpet eventually landed with J.P Willborg, was sold at Christies in 2010 for $145,180 and is now in the Farjam Collection. 178 x 271 cm.

80a-Louvre

80) A lovely vase carpet fragment from the City Art Museum of Düsseldorf, published by May Beattie in 1976.The fragment pales in comparison to a piece once with Sarre ,of which two other pieces are in Boston and the Louvre(shown here, 80a) 76 x 94.

81) This Khorasan saddle-cover was sold at the Bernheimer auction in 1996 for 287 GB, and subsequently re-appraised to a much higher level and age. It ’s not exactly clear why. An attractive 19th century product. 70 x 74 cm.

82)This masterpiece from the Bavarian National Museum was discussed here, plate 185: Kashan silk and here: plate 57 156 x 261 cm.

83 & 84 & 85 ) are two fragments from a Safavid silk Kilim which is divided between museums in Cologne, Hamburg, Prague, Frankfurt and Dresden ( the last now missing ) It belongs in the upper league of such silk Flatweaves, comparable to the medallion carpet in the Residenz, and the individual items show that the Munich piece was also woven in strips, the borders being sewn on afterwards.

87-88

87a-Christies 2007

86-88) Of the nine chenille Safavid carpets, five are in the Rosenborg Castle in Denmark, and another three in Germany. Of these three glamorous products we have only very poor reproductions; of Nr 86,in the Residenz Museum Munich, not even that. Nr.87, a medallion carpet from the Bavarian National, was exhibited once in 1937 in Zurich, and published in the accompanying catalogue. A similar piece was sold at Christies in 2007 for 16,100 GBP ( 87a) The chenille carpets either rely on the Polonaise carpets, or the silk Safavid Kilims for their design inspiration. Nr. 88 is an arabesque carpet with birds and foliage in the field.G. G Ellis believed the group to have been made in Europe, possibly Holland, Erdmann remarks on their European influence but comes down on the side of a Persian production, as does Friedrich Spuhler, the acknowledged expert in the field.

129 x 215 cm (86), 134 x 217 cm (87) 139 x 217 cm.

For comparison, fig 88 shows two chenille carpets from Rosenborg Castle.

Nrs 91 & 92 are both kept in the Bavarian National Museum, and both were published in the 1892 Wienerwerk. It is interesting to see how clear the repro is compared to black and white, or colour, which is noticeably worse. Both are outstanding representatives of the Polonaise genre. 133 x 203 and 140 x 219 cm.

93a

93b

93c

93) The remaining pieces of a Polonaise fragment from the Bavarian National Museum in Munich, whose more mature pair lies in the Argenti Museum,Florence.39 x 62 (there are two pieces of this rug, and the author has attempted a reconstruction)

94)Published by Kurt Erdmann in his museum tour review of 1942,this Wittelsbach Polonaise from the Bavarian National Museum is clearly modelled on a Red Ground Floral carpet. 145 x 260 cm.

95)Another Wittelsbach carpet from the National Museum depot in extremely poor condition.As stated, picture and Spuhler description do not seem to match.Is this where old Polos go to die? A large example at 177 x 410 cm.

Polonaise Carpets

96) For some reason, Erdmann interrupted the flow of classical carpets for an interjection of two 19th century carpets.This unpublished Senneh saddle cover measured 93 x 98 cm. Such items are relatively common-RT has a folder with over 100 blue ground items alone- but four examples give a good impression of the available quality.The piece bottom right was manufactured in interlocking Kilim style, typical for Sanandaj.Hamburg private collection. 93 x 98 cm.

97a

97) Apparently, Professor Erdmann was always presented with a rug on his buying visits to Bernheimer for the Berlin Museum, and once he was given a Wagireh. It is unlikely to be the item published here, for that is in the Hamburg Museum of Applied Arts, which hosted this show. In his article on Wagirehs in “700 Years” Erdmann quotes Jacobys comment on this piece, whose attribution he follows (“Sultanabad or Hamadan”) However, it is more likely to be from the Ferahan Plain. Two pieces each from Sultanabad and Hamadan are shown here. 93 x 98 cm.

98) An Anatolian Wagireh from the collection of Sven Rosendahl, Malmo. 54 x 95 cm. (unillustrated)

99-repaired

99-reconsruction

99-Berlin, destroyed

99) The Bernheimer NW Persian medallion carpet,now in the Museum of Islamic Art, Berlin. Reconstructed here in its full glory, this is likely to be a later representative of the Cloud-Collar Medallion group with giant

spokes. Originally heavily restored, it is shown here in its original repaired-up state. A related but older piece was once in Berlin. Erdmann published it in his 1939 review of Pope’ s Survey, not knowing that five years later it would be torched in the Berlin Mint. 200 x226 cm.

100

100a

100b

100) Carpets of this rare type are presumably based on the pair divided between Lyons and New York, which are of a far superior quality with silk wefts, mythological battle scenes, and a profusion of arabesque. The New York carpet is a truncated fragment once with Yerkes. 150 x 460 cm.

101

101) Part of a carpet whose antecedents lay with the Paris-Cracow animal-medallion carpet. However, Erdmann demonstrated that this piece probably never had a medallion. The Bernheimer fragment is now in the Wolf Collection; the other two pieces with DeWitt Mallory and in the Frankfurt Museum of Applied Art. 75 x 109 cm.

102

102) The upper left-hand corner of the previous example.Frankfurt Museum of Applied Art. 63 x 145 cm.

103

103a

103) From the Cologne Museum of Applied Art, this delightful animal-combat carpet with shrubs is a simplified variant of the Michaelyan carpet now in the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. The Toronto piece is said to hail from Khorasan; Erdmann attributes the Cologne carpet to NW Persia. 155 x 230 cm.

104

104) This early Bij Majnun carpet has the typical white-ground lofty border and jufti knotting of the Khorasan group. White-ground borders with this tree design are rare.Sold at the Bernheimer Sale in 1996 for 9775 GBP. 200 x 470 cm.

105

105a

105) A shrub-lattice carpet with a design derived from older vase carpets. A similar rug is in the Louvre dated 1794.Sold at the Bernheimer Sale in 1996 for 6900 GBP

106

106) No photo could be found of this Garden carpet fragment said to be in the Frankfurt Museum of Applied Arts; indeed the Museum’s authorities professed ignorance of it. Belonging to the later group with small repeating panels. Two examples, from Berlin and Christies 2001, are shown here for reference.83 x 211 cm.

107

107a

107b

107) Fluidity is the key factor in the RGF design.Four 18th century carpets which ape the original Herat group are known, amongst which the Bernheimer carpet is the most convincing. It is shown here flanked by the owner. The other three pieces, in order of degeneration, are a NWP carpet with J.P Willborg, a carpet with Maurice published by Pope and dated 1720( the 7 has probably been changed from 8) and a carpet once in the Pisa Collection. Erdmann presumed that weavers from East Persia brought the RGF design with them; whole tribes of weavers are said to have moved about in this way, or weavers from one tribe married into another etc.But it is much more likely that the carpets moved around instead, transported by dealers searching for a lower-cost production centre. This carpet was last seen with Hadi Maktabi,in Beirut. 210 x 430 cm.

108

108) Another RGF mutant, probably still in the Folkwang Museum, Essen, with a schematised version of the RGF. The border appears on a Harshang carpet in the MAK, Vienna.

109

109a

109) From the Golden Triangle, a Harshang carpet similar in style to a corner fragment in a German Collection.Formerly in the Bavarian National Museum, now Museum of Five Continents, Munich. 85 x 62 cm.

Golden Triangle

110

110) Attributed by Erdmann to the Caucasus or NW Persia( although Erdmann seems to come down more on the side of the Caucasus ) this fragment is more sophisticated than the Caucasian group( discussed here, where the author settles on the Caucasus: https://www.rugtracker.com/2017/10/rugs-of-golden-triangle.html ) The drawing seems more sophisticated than other members of the group. Erdmann compares the fragment to the two pieces in 101 and 102, but the drawing is rougher and larger scale. One wishes for more technical info, especially as the piece is no longer accessible, having vanished. 65 x 238 cm.

111

111a

111) Described by Erdmann in 1960 as “an important Dragon Carpet” this fragment, approximately half of which remains, contains the entire menagerie of Dragons, Kylins, Deer,Lions, Pheasants etc commonly found in the superior qualities of this group.A carpet with Bausback possessed a similar power, shown here with a rough reconstruction of the Hamburg piece.It had been purchased in a timely fashion in 1949. Hamburg, MKG. 241 x 343 cm.

112

112a

112b

112) Erdmann was the opinion that “countless other examples “ of this Caucasian “Sunburst” carpet existed, but for blue ground pieces this is not so. The Bernheimer rug, in a very worn condition, is a scaled-down version of the carpet purchased by Tabibnia at the San Gregorio Sale in 2002 for $ 168,860, and which displays the true Grandezza of the group. Another blue ground example appeared twice at Christies in 2006 and 2013. A remarkable pair was found at Divrigi with a red ground, and a very similar piece appeared at Christies in 1997. Unlike the Bernheimer carpet, these are large scale items. Some 25 examples have been recorded with variations of the approaching “Chelaberd” design, but those seem to be truly “Transitional” Nr.112 here was sold at the Bernheimer sale in 1996, Lot 18, for 8,525 GBP to the late J.P Willborg, and was repaired using wool supplied by the author. 200 x 355 cm.

113

113a

113b

113) We have no original photo, but Erdmann cites a number of examples to illustrate this Caucasian “Transitional” carpet, which contains the design seeds of two important and iconic rug types of the 19th century: the Chelaberd and the Lenkoran. Interestingly, although the Chelaberd or Eagle design has remained constant, the Lenkoran has undergone quite a simplification. One rare carpet once at Finarte combines both types, although it is obviously quite late. Two long rugs appear to hark back to the originals in an atavistic mood.It has become clear to the author that the longer the list of comparative material assembled by Erdmann, the further away he moves from the original exhibited item. Frankfurt Collection. 223 x 485 cm.

116

116a

114-116) Erdmann appears to be describing a group of carpets with the Afshan design-Nr.116 is such a carpet once sold at the Shefik Pasha/Lepke auction in 1931.At the Bernheimer sale it produced 8625 GBP, appearing again in 2012 at Freemans.This group is characterised by a wide medallion border.Probably NW Persia, early 19th century.

Afshan Carpets

117

117a

117) There seems to be no clear distinction between Daghestan or Shirvan prayer rugs. For Erdmann, this prayer rug dated 1867/68 belongs to the former group.Sold at the Shefik Pasha sale in 1931, it appears to be very finely knotted. Such rugs are frequently found with early dates, which presumably demonstrates the weavers knowledge of western tastes in such matters. 117 x 156 cm.

118) A second Caucasian prayer rug dated 1876/77, although Erdmann felt it was older than 117. Damage to the center. 75 x 130 cm. South German collection. No photo available.

119) Ditto,a rug in the MKG, Hamburg.Inventory Nr. 1957.11, which indicates it entered the Museum’ s collection after the exhibition. 91 x 155 cm. No photo available.

120

120a

120) Implausibly dated 1818, this rug from the Hirth collection sale is the substitute for Nr.120.Such carpets are much rarer than the typical flower-lattice group, a successful series made in large numbers.They occur chiefly on a white ground with a Crab-flower border, although variants occur such as the Kaffel rug and a piece sold at Christies in 1990 for $16,087, dated 1877-78. Good condition. 98 x 140 cm.

121

121) An interesting study could be made comparing patterns used in prayer rugs and on regular carpets as an allover design. This yellow-ground East Caucasian rug was sold at Sothebys NY in 1994 for $20,700 , and again in 2015. It fits the Hamburg catalogue description down to the border. 78 x 245 cm.

122

122a

122) Said to be in the Museum of Five Continents in Munich, although no photo could be found, this Chelaberd was sold at the Shefik Pasha-Lepke sale in 1931.Such rugs were for many a year a mainstay of the trade and were produced well into the thirties as 5-Year Plan carpets.Often finished with an antique look they went straight into the trade as precious “antiques”.Four very beautiful examples, from major players, are shown here.They were made up to rows of five medallions. 150 x 200 cm.

123) Ditto, in good condition. 130 x 240 cm.No photo available.

124-A Group

124-B Group

124)For Erdmann most Kazaks with a medallion design were continuations of the Bergama carpets, as was this Lori Pambak carpet in the MKG, Hamburg.These three medallion rugs can be divided into two groups.Group A, shown here,have two white ground octagon medallions and a central dominant medallion on a dark blue ground. Group B have exactly the opposite configuration-two blue and one white.The Group A rugs are much superior: it is hard to find any valuable material in Group B. 150 x 228 cm.

125

125a

125) A blue ground classic Talish rug with six-flower border, probably similar to a piece sold at Sothebys in 2005 and dated 1895. Hamburg collection.109 x 251 cm.

126) Described by Erdmann as a strange piece which may have been woven in the Western Caucasus or East Anatolia, with three-part opposed niches and a central yellow medallion with Cloudbands on a blue ground.Once in the possession of the painter Hans Thoma; a search of atelier photos produced no result.The size is more likely to indicate a NW Persian provenance, perhaps a Heriz for the studio floor. 194 x 352 cm. No photo available.

127

127) A floral baroque Karabag carpet now perhaps still in the Five Continents Museum in Munich. Actually quite powerful. Erdmann reports a black ground, but this is more likely to be Surmeh. One wonders how many of these carpets Erdmann had actually seen. His comparison to Jacoby 18 is misleading.133 x 230 cm.

128

128) Another eccentric Karabag rug showing signs of Persian influence bubbling up from the south in the use of the Ferengi gul. Hamburg Collection. 168 x 292.(The piece shown here was at the Shefik Pasha Sale by Lepke in 1931-for which Erdmann wrote the entries)

129

129a

129) A fragment from an Indian animal carpet shown only as a section but which was published in full in the Bernheimer catalogue of 1959. It has a minor border of grotesque heads and a narrow red ground guard stripe. Another piece is in the M.Wolf Collection .It is sometimes confused with two other pieces, one also in the Bernheimer Collection, and a second with Jim Dixon (and Pacific Collections) They have a different border of birds and flowers, with an identical narrow guard, but in blue. Sold in 1996 for 4025 GBP. 120 x 196 cm.

130

130a

130) The opening lot at Christies Bernheimer sale, this small Indian Red-Ground Floral carpet features some incongruous medallions placed within an elegant swooping frame. Such borders are often attributed to the Deccan.But the best example can be seen on the Yerkes/Thyssen animal carpet, sold in 2013 for $481,185. A carpet in Detroit also hosts an array of medallions. 136 x201 cm. Sold for 8050 GBP.

131

131a

131) This fragment is part of a larger piece now in the V&A Museum, ex-Salting Collection.Most reproductions do not show the Shaped-Carpet border, which has been eliminated on the London carpet. 114 x 81 cm.

132

132) There are a number of Mughal Shrub Lattice carpets but none like this carpet, in the Hamburg MKG since 1961. Woven on silk with a square meter count of 15,600, it is of an exquisite quality. A charming disarray across the field interrupts what could otherwise have been a mechanical interpretation, and the feeling is much closer to a textile than a carpet. 114 x188 cm.In 1950 with Bernheimer.

133

133a

133b

133) Erdmann attributed this carpet to India, and its design is of Indian origin but structure and style point more likely to Khorasan. It is a lattice carpet with an allover design spread over one ground colour. Another single white ground carpet of superior quality was sold at Sothebys in 2006. A further group with varying ground colours in the style of the vase carpets is also shown here. Sold in 1996 for 27,600 GBP, it was re-offered by Mikaelov in 1997 and 1999, at Christies. 207 x 280 cm. With Bernheimer.

134

134a

134) Attributed to Tanjore,Eluru or the Deccan, such carpets often employ old Turkish design elements and have sometimes been mistakenly described as “early” , when they are in fact 19th century. At the time of writing a similar rug was on offer Christies Islamic sale of 28.10.2021, lot 184.A charming rug which did well in 1996 fetching 1725 GBP. 122 x 242 cm.

135

135a

135) Quite a mish-mash of designs from all quarters adorn the field of this silk Warangal carpet. Sold at Bernheimers Sale in 1996 for 862 GBP, and lately with Josh Graham. Old Indian silk rugs are quite rare: another was once with J.P Willborg. 115 x 240 cm.

136

136a-with Tabibnia

136) Noble and austere, this Spanish Wreath carpet incorporates elements also seen in Turkmen rugs.Another part of this is kept in Berlin, and a third fragment is in the German National Museum in Nuremberg. A study in red, blue and green which may well have influenced the three-colour Mamluks (or vice versa) 180 x 164 cm.

137

137) The majority of old Spanish carpets are said to derive from Cuenca and feature a corrupted version of the Lotto design finished in pale shades of blue and yellow.These are surely later than the Wreath carpets and very simply executed.The “Scrawl “ border is one of the most common. A coloured reproduction from Achdjian typifies the group. With Bernheimer. 170 x 282 cm.

138

138) A narrow runner with an archaic design and simplified Kufi border.Erdmann did not know how to deal with this strange object, and neither does the author, to whom it always recalls the “Faces” carpet in the Kirchheim Collection. Perhaps late 19th century Spanish or Corsican. With Bernheimer. 110 x 300 cm.

139

2002-2016

139) Embroidered carpets have been manufactured in Arraiolos, Portugal, since the 16th century.A series of designs taken from Safavid carpets is particularly impressive. Bernheimer’ s 139 though seems to have vanished. Rippon Boswell presented two such carpets in 2002 and 2016, and the 2002 rug had a rare red ground. Erdmann compares the Bernheimer rug to one in the V&A London, which also seems to have gone awol, but is shown here with the illustration from Martin. 130 x 228 cm.

140

140a

140) Woven in three strips and sewn together, this 18th century Alpujarra carpet displays the name “Antonio Cayo” and is one of a group with crowned lions placed at the corners. From the Cologne MAKK. 117 x 220 cm.

141

141) An 18th century Alpujarra with a red vase in the center. Cologne MAKK. 162 x 217 cm.

142

142) This interesting Alpujarra (?) has an allover Turkish-style design and a border appropriated from a Transylvanian carpet, woven in three pieces and sewn together. 180 x 221 cm.Cologne MAKK.

143

143) This seems to have been a Tekke main carpet, although Erdmann`s description is so convoluted as to render it unrecognisable.He take the opportunity to compare the Turkmen with the old Turkish carpets, i.e the Holbeins, and proves (to his own satisfaction) that the Turkmen tradition represents a corruption. A carpet in the TM from the Myers collection, shown for reference, is hard to beat for its noble simplicity and bearing.Hamburg private collection. 188 x 239 cm.

144) Another small Tekke carpet with an indecipherable Erdmann description ( “on a red-brown ground alternating rows of three yellow animal masks with four supine animals in opposing direction”) 129 x 189 cm. Private Collection Harburg (probably a typo for Hamburg) No photo available.

145

145) Apparently a Tekke-Salor choval.A piece from Marvin Amstey is shown for comparison. Hamburg private collection. 114 x 73 cm.

146a-c) Three Tekke chovals as Nr. 145,in the Hamburg MKG.

147

147) A yomut prayer rug with a red field divided into four niches.A red ground border with trees and rosettes.This is Erdmann`s description of what today is known as an ensi. Impossible to identify, so any ensi with a black leaf elem will do. This one was at Lefevre and Sothebys. 125 x 150 cm. Private collection Hamburg.

148) A blue ground Ersari main carpet with flower tendrils and sickle leaves in five vertical rows of medallions.From the Otto Jäger Collection in Hamburg. Blue ground Ersaris are rare. 258 x 464.

149

149) The “Polonaise” Kashgar rug from Bernheimer is a fastidious example of a design calculated to reproduce the effect of a Mughal Millefleurs carpet with simpler means.The white ground border is exceptional.It was published again in the Bernheimer 1959 catalogue and appeared at the Weinmüller sale in 1960.A further appearance at Christies in 1985 was merely a stopover on its journey to E.Herrmann. 203 x 400 cm.

150

150a

150) Another aristocratic silk Yarkand from Bernheimer (Kashgar for Erdmann) on a cotton foundation. There is always a meeting point in the field between the upper and lower halves, a break caused by opposing rows of leaves.A few of these carpets have one vase only. Sold in 1996 by Christies for 26,450 GBP, it reappeared again in 2004 at the same venue where it brought 19,120 GBP. 172 x 294 cm.

150b

150a) This large-size single medallion Khotan is still in the Hamburg MKG, Inv.Nr.1949.18. As no photo is available,four idiosyncratic pieces are shown for comparison. 176 x 337 cm

151

152

151a and b & 152)) Four silk Kashgar fragments with gold brocading from the Museum of Arts & Crafts in Frankfurt. These fascinating fragments are probably from a carpet in the V&A , London.They were the subject of an interesting article by Ulrich Schürmann concerning a silk and metal thread East Turkestan carpet, later with Thyssen. A third carpet with this design exists in Beijing. 20 x 42 cm; 20 x 46 cm; 45 x 120 cm; 46 x 120 cm.

153) A strip of Chinese silk carpet from the illustrious Cords Collection, now in the Frankfurt Museum of Arts & Crafts.16 x 81 cm. No photo available.

154) A blue ground Chinese carpet with Peony scrolls from the Cords Collection. Frankfurt Museum of Arts & Crafts. 155 x 278 cm. No photo available.

155

155) Attributed variously to Turkey,China and the Caucasus, this unusual pictorial rug from the Figdor Collection was sold at the Bernheimer sale in 1996 8,050 GBP, a hefty price and an upbeat item upon which to end the catalogue. Turkish knotted on hemp warps (?) 136 x 144 cm.

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Thursday 7 October 2021

Hamburg 1950

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