Talish

The Talish, or Talysh, are an ethnic Iranian minority traditionally inhabiting the border region of Azerbaijan straddling Northwest Persia and the south Caucasus. While the vast majority of Talish pieces are thought to have been woven in the southeast Caucasus, there seems to be some diversity of weave within the group; a few seemingly early Talish design pieces have even been ascribed to weaving centers in neighboring Anatolia. This Talish rug, while using the eponymous rosette border and long and narrow format, is quite different than most of the type. A madder red main border is flanked by colorful blue and green guards. Rows of colorful flowering shrubs, of the type adapted from contemporaneous Persian textiles, are drawn against an ivory ground. This aberrant but successful design and palette may reflect a rare subgroup or a ‘one off’ innovative rendering.