Antique c.1900 Caucasian Shirvan Rug, Star Medallion & Rosettes, Steel Blue, Natural Dye, 3'2" x 4' (96cm x 123cm) – 1N129

An antique Caucasian Shirvan rug of authentic tribal character and great chromatic beauty — woven in the eastern Caucasus (present-day Azerbaijan) in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, in the village weaving tradition that produced some of the most celebrated and internationally collected rugs of the entire Oriental rug canon.

The field is set on a deep steel blue indigo ground of great visual authority — a color achieved through repeated immersion in natural indigo that has deepened and mellowed over 120 years to a rich, complex blue of extraordinary warmth. At the center, a large stepped cross medallion dominates the composition: a bold ivory and white stepped cross with four projecting arms, each terminating in a characteristic Caucasian stepped hook, outlined in black with a fine pearl-bead inner border. This medallion form — angular, geometric, architecturally bold — is one of the most iconic and immediately recognizable compositions in the Shirvan weaving tradition.

The field surrounding the medallion is filled with an all-over scatter of small floral rosettes — alternating crimson and ivory, with gold and olive accents — arranged across the blue ground in the dense, jewel-like manner characteristic of the finest Shirvan village production. Large stepped geometric corner forms in madder crimson anchor the composition, and small animal or bird silhouettes punctuate the field corners — a characteristic Shirvan detail that rewards close inspection.

The border system is multi-register and strongly articulated: a black inner guard with small reciprocal ivory and crimson floral motifs; a main border on a warm camel/gold ground carrying a bold stepped geometric meander in crimson and ivory — one of the most visually powerful border compositions of the Shirvan tradition; and a black outer guard with small ivory reciprocal motifs. The warm camel gold against the steel blue field creates a warm/cool contrast of great sophistication.

Specifications

• Type: Antique hand-knotted Caucasian Shirvan rug
• Origin: Eastern Caucasus — Shirvan district (present-day Azerbaijan)
• Period: c. 1900 (late 19th / early 20th century)
• Material: Wool pile on wool foundation — natural dyes (indigo, madder, weld/pomegranate, undyed ivory)
• Knot type: Turkish symmetrical (Ghiordes) hand-tied knots
• Design: Large stepped cross/star medallion (ivory on steel blue); all-over rosette scatter field; stepped corner forms in crimson; camel-ground stepped geometric meander main border; black guard borders
• Colors: Steel blue indigo, madder crimson, camel gold, ivory/cream, olive green, dark brown-black, pale grey-blue
• Dimensions: 96 cm × 123 cm (3’2” × 4’0”)

Condition

Distressed — honestly and fully disclosed. Central field retains low but present pile (~2–3mm throughout), pattern fully legible, colors strong and unfaded. Selvedges intact. Both terminal ends show significant pile loss and structural wear — complete pile loss in a band at each end, exposed foundation threads, severely worn and partially missing fringe. Clearly shown in photographs and fully reflected in the price. Colors throughout field and borders remain strong and unfaded. Ideal for wall display or low-traffic decorative use; not suitable for floor use without prior conservation.