Kazak

This double niche Kazak rug was woven in the south Caucasus in the late 19th century. The color and design are vibrant and playful, with the characteristic vivid contrasting red and blue for which these rugs are known. The niches and spandrels at either end are derived from traditional prayer rug design and employed here in a novel and graphically successful way. The scale and drawing are bold. Of particular merit are four cheerfully rendered birds, perhaps pheasants or roosters, depicted on each side of the central diamond medallion.