Antique Indian Sampler Mat

25670

Indian Sampler Mat

Northern India, possibly Lahore

2.0 x 3.10

C. 1930

All  cotton foundation, with approx. 180 asymmetric (Persian) wool knots per square inch

Sampler mats were created for several different purposes: to store patterns; for the weavers to consult when making larger carpets; and for the ultimate client to approve the weave, color way and pattern before a larger carpet is woven.

Indian samplers are quite rare, and they usually function as both weaver guides and pattern reservoirs. This sampler, incorporating a snippet of the ogival red leaf lattice field, with a section of a yellow ochre border with cypresses, trees and upright flowering plants, has not been taken from a Mughal period pashmina pile, silk foundation, ultra-fine weave but from an illustration of one. A fragmentary piece is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ex-Altman collection. These fragments are from a long and narrow carpet with a weave of about 1250 knots per square inch. They were first published with an illustration in Sarre and Trenkwald, Old Oriental Carpets, vol. II, 1926-1929. So, the sampler mat cannot be older than about 1930.

The pile is regular sheep wool rather than fine pashmina goat. The sampler was used in a factory to create a full-sized carpet.  Given that it is incomplete  in both field and border, there were probably additional samplers with other parts of the design. The colors are, however, modern close approximations of the original.

As to where and by whom the sampler was made. Lahore is the first possibility. This has always been a carpet trading and weaving center. Thus, the rug could have been ordered from any one of the local shops. The sampler was made in a very professional atelier which had access to an extensive design library, one having the Sarre and Trenckwald set. Oriental Carpet Manufacturers (O.C.M) was active in India beginning in the first quarter of the 20^th century and had an excellent library and skilled designers. They had a specialized factory in Mirzapur weaving fine carpets, and this sampler could have used these.  OCM did not market their carpets and it is difficult to assign any extant pieces to them, but since they were by far the largest carpet manufacturer, it is quite possible that this piece is one of theirs. Historicizing Mughal-style carpets, copied from illustrations in Sarre and Trenkwald , and from Hendley, Carpets in the Jaipur Palaces, 1905-6, were available in the Interwar Period,  OCM possessed them in their extensive library, and we have seen other Mughal-style pieces of finer weave that successfully reproduce the originals. This sampler allows us to complete the fragmentary original.

To view this sampler on our website, click here.

*Written by Dr. Peter Saunders.

Antique Agra Based on Famous “Sheikh Safi” Carpet

Rug #: 19006

Origin: India – north

Type: Agra

Size: 6’3” X 9’0”

Circa: 1890-1900s

Weave density:  450 knots/sq in

Warp: hand spun cotton

Weft: hand spun cotton

Pile: wool

Sides: 3 ply cotton

Main Colors:  wine red, ivory, soft yellow, charcoal black, royal blue, emerald green, soft aqua, peach and rose.

The present carpet originates in northern India, specifically in the city of Agra, where they have been weaving rugs dating back to Mughal period.  The town and surrounding regions have a long history of rug making dating back to at least to the beginning of 16^th century.

From the 16^th up to the end of 19^th century the most famous manufacturers of Indian carpets operated in the Agra region, weaving some of the best rugs coming out of the India.

Because of its location close to the Himalayas its breed of sheep produced the highest quality of wool, the cool temperature always cerates a very sturdy and lustrous grade of wool which is the main factor for Agras.  Hence, the rugs coming from this region all have the most lustrous and luxurious wool which over the span of decades has improved just by the simple process of being walked on.

Agras are amongst the most sought-after antique carpets in today’s market. Their gracious size, subtle color combinations, and uncluttered patterns make them appealingly adaptable to room settings of varied décor.  

Even today there are still many carpets being produced in the city of Agra and many of its surrounding regions.

Many Indian carpets from Agra region are inspired by Persian rugs, they mostly follow the same traditional designs found on Persian rugs, however they tend to be not as formal and their colors usually are not as dark as typical Persian carpets form the same period.

The design of this piece is based on the famous “Sheikh Safi” carpet in London’s Victoria & Albert museum.

The field design consists of a central medallion with 16 spandrels atop of a wine red field, interspersed with smaller angular floral motifs.  The corners are based on this same medallion style – sitting atop a trellis pattern of vines.

The rugs main border consists of meandering palmettes and stylized floral motifs atop of pale jade green background with accents of soft red, ivory and moss green, its flanked on each side by narrower guard borders with interlocking design of vine-leafs.

In our opinion the rug is very unique, and it is considered a one of kind piece.   Also, taking its age into consideration the piece is in the best of conditions.

To view this rug on our website, click here.

#20231 Indian Agra: circa 1850

#20231
Agra Carpet
Northern India
8’0” x 10’0”
Circa 1850

Structure:

Warp: cotton, white, natural, Z-6 to 8-S
Weft:    cotton, white, natural, Z-3-S, Z-4-S, Z-5-S
2 shoots of weft alternating either 1 straight and 1 wavy, or both shoots straight.
Knots: wool, Z-2
Either Persia (asymmetrical) knots open left, horizontal.  15 x vertical 13 = 195/in².
Or
Persian (asymmetrical) jufti knots, open left, horizontal.  7.5 x vertical 13 = 98/in².
Alternate warps depressed 80-90°
Finishes: not original

Design:

This carpet is an excellent mid 19^th century interpretation of a classical c.1600 Indo-Isfahan in the iconic in-and-out palmette and cloudband pattern, on a claret red lac ground.  The pattern is not centered and the actual vertical axis of the design is displaced approximately 9” to the right.  In a larger carpet it would be exactly centered, but it should be noted that even period rugs in this pattern may have design offsets.  The ability to shift the pattern indicates the use of a cartoon or a talim (a coded pattern book “read” out loud by a “talim reader”).

The border also follows the classical manner closely with an in-and-out palmette and thin vine design on a nicely abrashed sapphire blue ground.  The inner directional arrow head border also is consistent with the classical model.

The detail colors of blue-green, orange-ochre, tan, dark brown and buff are also traditional.

It is still an open question as to whether the classical prototypes are Persian (Isfahan) or Indian (Agra), but only Agra carpets of the 19^th century carry on the design tradition virtually unchanged, although the long and narrow 17^th century format has been replaced by more Western proportions.  Many Agra carpets, often of exceptional size, were woven by inmates of the local jail, but this is more likely to be a regular creation of fine quality by a local merchant.

The Jufti knots occur in areas of plain color and in irregular patches overall.  They may be seen both on the front and back of the rug.  The use of Jufti knots, allowing for quicker execution, seems to have appeared in Agra around 1800 and is an import from Khorossan in NE Persia where it is the standard knotting technique.  Although the weaving quality of jufti-knotted carpets in often severely compromised if their overall wool quality is low, their carpet is piled in excellent quality wool and the knots are closely packed.  As a result, it has aged well and is still in fine condition.  It is a decorative carpet with no elements of later design trends or tastes.

to view this rug on our website, please use this link:  http://www.rahmanan.com/inventory/show/20231/

 

*written by Peter Saunders, edited by Katrina Mauro

Cotton Agra: circa 1880 – 1890

#19973
Cotton Agra
3’10” x 7’0”
Circa 1880-1890

Cotton pile rugs were woven in Agra for both domestic use during the summer, and for export as an alternative to wool pile pieces in more saturated colors. The tonality is generally lighter, nearly pastel, and the number of colors in fewer than on a wool carpet. Cotton yarn has less absorbency than does wool or silk, thus the same dyes produce a softer tonality.

The indented directional lattice displaying the foil flowering plants is derived directly from Deccani carpets of the 18th Century. The Deccani sultanates, south of the Mughal empire, wove carpets in styles simplified from their Mughal archetypes. The lattice repeat was extremely popular and easy to weave. Daccani silk rugs of the circa 1800 period are frequently on a yellow ground and display repeating lattice patterns. This rug (#19973) appears to be a later interpretation of this style.

The border, the so-called “open kufesque” type is featured on “lotto” and small-pattern “Holbein” rugs from Ushak in western Turkeym from the mid 15th Century until the end of the 16th Century. The designer of this Agra worked from a book illustration to produce this interpretation of a classic pattern. Rug books with color illustrations began to appear in the 1890’s and Indian manufacturers were among the first to utilize them to produce innovative patterns.

research by Peter Saunders