Antique Schirwan Leski | 180 x 123 cm | Nr. 20435

Antique Schirwan Leski

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Caucasus
Dimensions	180 cm x 123 cm (= 2.21 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Weft & Warp: wool
knots	90.000
Year of manufacture	1930
Condition	pre-owned and cleaned
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Leski rugs (also Lezgi, Lesghi or Lesghian rugs) are knotted by the Turkic Leski tribe in the north-eastern Caucasus. The typical Leski pattern is a star – the so-called Leski star with eight points and four arrows set behind it. The way the points and arrows are arranged gives the impression of 12 points in all.

All Schirwan (also Shirvan) rugs are knotted from exceptionally fine wool and have a low pile. Old and antique Schirwans are much admired and highly valued among collectors in Europe. They quite often reach a knot count of up to 300,000 knots per m².

Another characteristic of Schirwan Leski rugs – as of all Schirwans – is the wide border. A broad main stripe is framed by 2 – 6 secondary stripes. The field is often dominated by imaginative geometric patterns. In terms of colour, these rugs are typically knotted in blue, but also in red and ivory. The many-coloured patterns give rise to a fine and varied palette.

This antique Schirwan Leski is a collector's piece. It is around 96 years old and a genuinely special piece for that reason alone. Antique rugs such as this Antique Schirwan Leski 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 Schirwan Leski is more than 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 dyer's weld per kilo of wool. Spinning the wool is labour- and time-intensive 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 Schirwan Leski is made of new wool.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Antique Schirwan Leski. It had owners before you who valued and used it. It was knotted around 1930. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but unrestored condition. Even unrestored, this antique piece is very well preserved. The only flaws are one crease/fold mark and a few places where a little wool is missing. We have not restored this Antique Schirwan Leski because we feel it has a special charm just as it is. If you would like us to, we will of course gladly restore the rug for you. Either way, this Antique Schirwan Leski will give you pleasure for decades to come.