Prayer Carpet
1890-1910
Description
Marasali Prayer Rug. Deep blue field with horizontal rows of variously colored botehs forming diagonals by type and ornament, surrounded by reciprocal palisade in red and blue. Three guard borders of five petaled flowers, white ground outer main border with bunches of grapes; yellow ground inner main border with fruits. Around the niche area, an incomplete human form, 2 ewers (ibrik), a piece of jewelry or a comb, and a date,1908, repeated 3 times. Warp: 2 S plied Z spun white undyed wool on one level. Weft: 1 Z spun yarn in 2 shoots, or occasionally in 2 parallel + 1 construction. Pile: 3, or occasionally 2 (depending on color), S plied Z spun. Pile color: 2 + 3 ply red, 3 ply green, 3 ply yellow, 2 ply green; all 3 ply: dark crimson red, dull medium red, very dark purple red, dark navy blue, medium blue, medium green, light green, dark yellow, very pale yellow, slightly corrosive brown, white, light brown wool; small areas of undyed and dark red silk. Both selvedges: 2 warps wrapped in magenta silk or shiny (mercerized?) cotton. Top: 1/2 cm. blue countered soumak brocade, 2 cm. tapestry weave, stripped, 1 1/2 cm. knot lace. Bottom: 1 cm. knot lace based on 4 warps, 1 cm. left to right countered soumak in brown, dark yellow, and red.
Dimensions
133 x 113 cm (52 3/8 x 44 1/2 in.)
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17th centuryItalianWarp: 2 S ply Z spun white and brown wool warps on one level. Wefts: 1 Z spun yarn, 2 shoots. Pile: 2 S ply Z spun wool. Pile colors: dark red, light red, aubergine, freckled orange (possibly aniline), dark indigo blue, light freckled indigo, yellow-green, green, yellow, aniline ornge, indigo sulfonic, brown and white. Knots: symmetrical. Knots in center area are off-set. 41 knots per vertical decimeter; 25 knots per horizontal centimeter. Both selvedges: bundles of 2 or 3 warps wrapped in red weft material. Top end (listed from edge of pile): band of single line red and blue soumak; band of white and brown 2 ply pile yarn over pairs of warps; 2.5 cm. cicim float brocading using pile yarn on top of a 2 ply red structural weft; single line of soumak; another cm. of same white and brown 2 ply pile yarn, which is then bound over; approximately 7 cm. red pile yarn over pairs of warps. Bottom end: 1 cm. white and brown 2 ply pile yarn; 2 lines of red and blue soumak; 3 cm. slit tapestry weave for ties (to close bag), brown and white soumak; 1/2 cm. tapestry weave; right to left transverse warp braids. Pile is of somewhat remarkably long wool. Ties (to close the bag) are extant: braids in blue, red and brown.
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