The Bird and the Standard

Great Collections always present great pieces, usually masterpieces.

Orient Stars is one such collection. The catalogue was published in 1993. 

In the kilim section, curated by the late J. Rageth, there is a small fragment 105 p. 180 captioned:

West Anatolian Kilim Fragment

Ushak region

19th century

76x92 cm

a short description says " ...it is possible to to guess the overall design: the red ground field was covered by several horizontally-placed rows of bird-like shapes, which carried a kind of standard with pendants at the sides on their backs...the possibility that the original kilim had a central medallion can't be discounted".

The section titled Anatolian Kilim is accompanied by a short essay from which this excerpt

"The designs and motifs in Anatolian kilims are deep-rooted and survived almost unchanged until the breakdown of the Anatolian kilim tradition in the 20th century. In the course of the past few years it has become increasingly clear that many designs and motifs on Anatolian flatweaves have an autochtonous origin, which can be traced back almost unchanged over a period of several millennia and can be placed within the context of an ancient religion and mythology. The origin and meaning of many designs is today viewed and defined in terms of an ancient Anatolian goddess cult. In simple terms, this is a religion of rebirth..." (p. 154)

Birds have long populated ancient Eastern and Neareastern religions. They came to gain a decisive place in folk beliefs and traditions. They can relate to rebirth and heavenly realms, messengers between earth and heaven. Goddesses belong with the same vast realm.

Birds belong also with shamanism to which nomadic populations were usually attached, the Anatolian Turks amid them.

Birds are sometimes represented in Anatolian weavings with full body, at times with only a detail (the head with beak mostly). One such depiction is clear in a Orient Stars kilim, 106 p. 181.

Hard to state which bird is, although a long tail and a crest are depicted.

'Central Anatolian Flatweave', second half 19th, 76x182, Orient Stars collection

The most famous Anatolian Bird is in the so called Marby rug

The Marby rug, 15th, National Museum of Stockholm

Anatolian Bird rug, 16th (?) Konya Ethnographic Museum

Birds with standards are not a common image.

However, the design in the fragment at issue can look quite misterious. The small motifs filling the red field are usual in Anatolian kilims, not the main motif. 

Given the high grade of stylisation and abstraction woven designs may go through, they do often appear enigmatic. And, enigmas have since ever entrapped and fascinated man. The most abstruse the most challenging.

The real challenge is to appreciate things for what they are. This is a genuine and lasting appreciation. "All the rest is wind".

After a quiete assimilation of the device,  I nearly forgot the fragment. But things work for us while sleeping.

One day I thought it might be a stylised version of a floral motif. Really not enigmatic or misterious, but I am best attracted to simplicity.

The asymmetrical shape led me to look for a foreign design, a western on the flow of French floral designs seen in 19th century Persian and Caucasian types.

Kuba Seichour floral carpet, detail, 19th, photocr. W. Barron

It was interesting investigating how stylised and abstracted these flowers were in Persian tribal weavings to the point to become else from the model (originally clusters and garlands of roses). 

Afshar floral cluster, Afshar rug, South Persia, 19th ,photocr. Peter Pap

Anatolian weavers were no less inventive, as the workshop rug below shows in the ornament of the red field. Domestic production likely permitted and favored a still heavier distancing from a realistic rendition.

Abdul Mejid I reign (1839-1861) is usually mentioned for the wide introduction of western/French style in Ottoman visual media, although the Ottoman court started to be fascinated with it in the beginning of the 18th century during the reign of Sultan Ahmed III (1703-1730).

Kirshehir rug, second half 19th, photocr. redbubbles

A providential reference was kindly given in a facebook group by a dealer (Ilkay Talu) - the picture of a Ushak kilim offered at Skinner. Nearly identical to the Orient Stars design.

Ushak kilim,  late 19th, Skinner photocr.

And anothe picture was to me decisive, also providentially added by another dealer (Huseyin Arisoy).

It shows a medallion Ushak kilim with a pretty similar floral device. As a rule this late type has floral medallion and corner ornamentation. The dealer, himself from Ushak, confirmed this type of kilim to be a domestic output for domestic use. The  detail speaks loud its affinity with the fragment at issue.

Tiny bouquets are very likely the original intention. Small differences between them are part of the game.

(There are picture colour issues because of the diverse conditions pictures have been taken)

Of this kilim others fragments exist residing in different private collections. From one of them the border appears according with the Skinner piece and the other one.

 Private Collection photocr.

I had a little joy trying to follow the weaver drawing the flowing design with all the difficulty the flatweave technique involves. Lovely decisions she took.

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Orient Stars, A Carpet Collection Hali Publications Ltd 1993