Salmiya

Timuri prayer rug Dokhtar-i Ghazi design Afghanistan, 150 cm x 98 cm, old (second half of 20th century) Warp: W, Z2S, ivory, light brown Weft: W, S, ivory Pile: W, Z Knots: as1 Density: 17 x 11, ca. 187 kpsi (2900 per sq dm) Height of pile: 2 mm Handle: like velvet, grainy Upper end: - Lower end: - Sides: 0.5 cm wide, W, selvages black Colors: 5, black, dark-purple, dark blue, brown-red, ivory (beige) Classic Dokhtar-i Ghazi (the Qadi’s daughter) design. With considerable density of knots. The origin is sometimes identified as Timuri, an Afghan/Central Asian tribe which, according to George O’Bannon, does no longer exist in Afghanistan. See also a less interesting rug in R. D. Parsons’ Carpets of Afghanistan, plate 98. Good examples may be found on Thomas Cole’s page: http://www.tcoletribalrugs.com/article45YaqubKhani.html , http://www.tcoletribalrugs.com/article30PitOcts.html

Kordish Baluch rug, Ali Mirzai design Khorassan, Northeastern Iran, 198 cm x 107 cm, old, possibly antique (first half of 20th century) Warp: W, Z2S, ivory Weft: W, S, grey Pile: W, Z Knots: as2 (asymmetric, open to the right) Density: 12 x 7, ca. 84 kpsi (1300 per sq dm) Height of pile: 3 mm Handle: thin, evenly grained Upper end: 2 cm kilim, W, 3 bands, black, red-brown, olive Lower end: - Sides: 0.5 cm wide, W, selvage dark-brown Colors: 4, black, dark-blue, brown-red, white The main field consists of octagons, alternating either filled with blossoms or with another octagon and an octagonal star. In between the main octagons, stylized cocks are displayed (note that "Baluch" is etymologically derived from cock, cockscomb, or bundle of hairs). They generally face each other with the exception of the lower row of cocks, where the second is turned. The main border has a hashie nargessi (narcissus border) design, which is very typical for the Ali Mirzai (S. Azadi, Carpets in th...