Old Kazak | 183 x 125 cm | Nr. 12145

Geometric old Kazak, dark blue with border and diamonds

Origin	Caucasus
Dimensions	183 cm x 125 cm (= 2.29 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool Weft & Warp: wool
knots per m²2	120.000
Pile height	4mm
Year of manufacture	1920
Colour	Dark blue, dark red
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Kazak (also spelled Kasak) rugs belong to the group of Caucasian rugs. Rugs have been made in the Caucasus since the end of the 18th century. Their hallmark is abstract geometric tribal patterns in primary colours. The geometric and, more rarely, floral motifs are typically rendered in intense, high-contrast colours. In the 19th century a considerable share of these rugs, produced mainly in villages, was exported to the West under Russian control. This old Kazak is around 100 years old and a real collector's piece.

Pattern

The abstract, geometric composition is what gives this Kazak its understated elegance. The pattern flatters the design of a room and never draws attention away from the furniture, the decoration or the architectural features. It settles beautifully into any setting and complements the furnishings of a room in a subtle way.

The decorated surround (border) forms a beautiful contrast to the centre and shapes the transition at the edge of the rug.

In the pattern of this Kazak it is above all the diamonds that catch the eye. A diamond is a rhombus standing on one of its points, and in an Oriental rug its four equal sides can be serrated, outlined or set with hooks. The diamond is one of the oldest basic forms in the Oriental rug. In the Islamic world it carries a symbolic meaning: it stands for the immortality of the soul. That is why it appears so often as a filler motif.

This Kazak is adorned with the so-called Mehrab or Mihrab motif. Mehrab refers to the Islamic prayer niche in mosques, which marks the qibla, the direction of prayer towards Mecca. Rugs with the Mehrab motif are traditionally used by Muslims for prayer and are therefore especially treasured.

The background of this Kazak is dark blue. The border is worked in beige, dark red and black. The dark blue centre combines dark red and turquoise.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Kazak. It has had owners before you who valued and used it. It was hand-knotted around 1920. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good, though only partly restored, condition. The pile of this Kazak has grown a little thin in places over the years. The edges & fringes could also do with a repair We have not fully restored this Kazak because we feel it has a special presence just as it is. If that is what you would like, we will of course be happy to carry on restoring it for you. We can bring almost any rug back to near-perfect condition.

Material

The pile of this Kazak was hand-knotted from high-quality new wool. New wool is obtained by gently shearing sheep. New wool is a renewable, natural raw material with a number of impressive qualities: thanks to the natural lanolin in the wool, the surface repels droplets of water and is therefore naturally protected against dirt. Wool also provides excellent thermal insulation, helps regulate the indoor climate and dampens sound. The foundation (weft and warp threads) of this Kazak is made of new wool.