Antique Schirwan | 169 x 139 cm | Nr. Z-3327

Antique Schirwan

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Caucasus
Dimensions	169 cm x 139 cm (= 2.35 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes)
knots	250.000
Condition	pre-owned and cleaned
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Shirvan (also Schirwan) rugs are knotted by hand in the eastern Caucasus, in the Shirvan region. Shirvan rugs are knotted from exceptionally fine wool and have a low pile. Old Shirvans are greatly valued and highly rated among collectors in Europe. They not infrequently reach a knot count of up to 300,000 knots per m².

The wide border is characteristic of Shirvan rugs. A broad main stripe is framed by 2 – 6 secondary stripes. The field is often shaped by imaginative geometric patterns. In terms of colour, these rugs are frequently marked by blue knotting, but also by red and ivory. The many-coloured patterns result in a fine and versatile palette.

This antique Shirvan is a collector's piece. It is around 126 years old, and that alone makes it something really special. Antique rugs such as this Antique Shirvan 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 Shirvan 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 just as time-consuming and labour-intensive. On top of that, 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 Shirvan is made of new wool.

Condition

This Antique Shirvan has had admirers before you. It was knotted around 126. It has been cleaned thoroughly and is in good but unrestored condition. The pile is evenly worn. The pile is evenly worn. The edges are damaged in parts. Some areas of the rug are discoloured. We have not restored this Antique Shirvan, because we feel it has a special presence exactly as it is. If that is what you would like, we will of course gladly restore the rug for you. Either way, this Antique Shirvan will give you pleasure for decades to come.