Belouch prayer rug, second half 19th century

Measurements: 162cm x 85cm (5’4 × 2’9)

160 Knots per inch

Price: £1,250

Belouch pieces have quite a restricted palette compared to rugs from the other weaving areas, sometimes they can look dark and uninteresting as is the case with many poorer quality pieces. Then you see a 19th century example and they are different beasts altogether. Here the colours are saturated, the rich red is stunning and the white details leap out from the darker surround. The camel field lightens the whole rug and works together with multiple borders to create a strong look. It is finely woven and shows this off with its intricate design, especially in the detailed borders. There are a couple of animals near the bottom and strange human figure in the mihrab. This is a high quality piece by an accomplished weaver and it delivers on every aspect one looks for in a great antique rug.

Condition:

Good condition, it is a little wonky and there is some corrosion to a couple of colours.