Antique Lankaran | 228 x 155 cm | Nr. Z-3105

Antique Lankaran

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Caucasus
Dimensions	228 cm x 155 cm (= 3.53 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes)
knots	180.000
Condition	pre-owned, but in very good condition (cleaned & restored)
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Lənkəran (in German also Länkäran, in Russian Lenkoran and in Talysh Lankon) is a town in the south of Azerbaijan, on the Caspian Sea near the Iranian border. Lenkoran rugs are hand-knotted in Lenkoran and the surrounding area in the eastern Caucasus, that is to say the Shirvan region. Shirvan rugs are knotted from exceptionally fine wool and have a flat pile. Old Shirvans are highly prized among collectors in Europe and fetch high valuations. They not infrequently reach a knot count of up to 300,000 knots per m².

Lenkoran rugs are characterised by their imaginative geometric patterns. The egg-shaped medallions of Lenkoran rugs are distinguished by two hooks projecting from the upper or lower tip of the medallion. The shape of the medallions derives from the dragon motif so typical of Caucasian rugs.

This antique Lankaran is a collector's item. It is around 106 years old, and that alone makes it a truly special piece. Antique rugs such as this Antique Lankaran are as sought after as ever and fetch top prices at renowned auction houses.

Material

The technique used to make the materials for the pile of this Antique Lankaran is over 200 years old. The wool was dyed with natural dyes and spun by hand. Dyeing with natural or plant dyes is more complicated, more expensive and more time-consuming than dyeing with chemical colours. For a luminous red, for example, you need around one kilo of ground madder root as dyestuff per kilo of wool. For a strong yellow that is not too pale, you even need two kilograms of weld dye per kilo of wool. Spinning the wool is labour-intensive and time-consuming too. And fewer and fewer people still master the art of spinning wool by hand.

But the effort is worth it: dyeing with natural colours allows the high-quality wool to keep its natural oil content. Wool that has been dyed with natural colours and spun by hand creates fascinating, shimmering patterns. The charm of hand-spun wool, with its slight irregularities and natural shades, comes into its own as a contrast in modern interiors, but equally in rooms furnished in a more traditional or country style.

The foundation (weft and warp threads) of this Antique Lankaran is made of new wool.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Antique Lankaran. It has had owners before you who valued and used it. The edges are damaged in places. The pile is lightly worn. It was knotted around 106. We have cleaned it thoroughly and restored it with care. It is therefore – despite its age – in very good condition.