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

Geometric antique Schirwan Leski, dark blue with border and diamonds

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 per m²2	90.000
Pile height	3mm
Year of manufacture	1930
Colour	Dark blue, rust red
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.

As with all Schirwans, the wide border is another hallmark of Schirwan Leski rugs. A broad main stripe is framed by 2 – 6 guard stripes. The field is often given over to imaginative geometric patterns. In terms of colour, these rugs are frequently blue, though red and ivory knottings occur as well. The many-coloured patterns result in a subtle and versatile palette. This antique Schirwan Leski is a collector's piece. It is around 90 years old, and that alone makes it a truly special piece. Antique rugs like this Schirwan Leski are as sought after as ever and fetch top prices at renowned auction houses.

 

Pattern

The abstract, geometric composition is what gives this Schirwan Leski its understated elegance. The pattern flatters the design of the room and never steals attention from the furniture, the decor or the architectural features. It settles beautifully into any setting and complements a room's furnishings in a subtle way.

The edge of the rug is framed by a surround (border). The border forms a splendid contrast to the centre.

In the pattern of this Schirwan Leski 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 may be serrated, stepped 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.

The abstract, geometric composition is what gives this Schirwan Leski its understated elegance. The pattern flatters the design of the room and never steals attention from the furniture, the decor or the architectural features. It creates a pleasant atmosphere without dominating the style of the room.

The background of this Schirwan Leski is dark blue. The border is worked in rust red, blue-grey and beige.

 

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Schirwan Leski. It had owners before you who valued it and lived with it. It was hand-knotted around 1930. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but unrestored condition. Even unrestored, this antique piece has survived remarkably well. The only things to note are one crease or fold mark and a few spots where a little wool is missing. We have not restored this Schirwan Leski because we feel it has a special presence exactly as it is. If you would prefer otherwise, we will of course gladly restore the rug for you. Either way, this Schirwan Leski will give you pleasure for decades to come.

 

Material

The technique used to prepare the materials for the pile of this Schirwan Leski 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 glowing 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 per kilo of wool. Spinning the wool is just as time-consuming and labour-intensive. And fewer and fewer people still know how to spin wool by hand.

But the effort is worth it: dyed with natural colours, the high-quality wool keeps its natural lanolin content. Wool dyed with natural dyes and spun by hand produces fascinating, shimmering patterns. The charm of hand-spun wool, with its slight irregularities and natural shades, works as a contrast in modern interiors, but just as well in rooms furnished in a traditional or country style. The foundation (weft and warp threads) of this Schirwan Leski is made of new wool.