Talish rug (454)

Talish rug from southern Caucasus

Age: circa 1875

Size: 8′.1"x3′.4" (246×102 cm)

This south Caucasian long rug presents a diagonally striped field in red,navy and ivory,all of which are decorated with block-S patterns in rose,light brown,red,green,blue,ivory and yellow.The red main border shows octagons and ivory stylized triangular flower fillers and is flanked by ivory minor borders with multicolor stepped crosses.There is an outermost blue and dark brown keyhole reciprocal and five barber pole lines in the border system.Although it resembles Gendjes or Karabaghs it is a Talish.The colors are vibrant and cheerful.The piece is in good pile and condition.Red is from the root of the madder plant,blue from indigo,yellow from larkspur or weld,brown from oak bark or tree galls,black from tannin,iron or oak tree galls,green from double dye of larkspur and indigo,salmon color from depleted madder dye,strong red to burgundy from cochineal (insect dye),blue red to purple red from lac and ivory from natural sheep wool.