Jaf bag, second half 19th century

Measurements: 88cm x 61cm

48 Knots per inch

Price: £280

Jaf bags are not rare but the majority of them are later pieces limited in colour and of lesser quality. This is an older piece with a good range of colour including the aubergine which is said to be indicative of an older date. The pile is meaty and the design quite crudely drawn. Note how the upper three diamonds are perfectly drawn and yet the others less so and when we approach the border the design degrades markedly. I believe this to be deliberate and not laziness or poor technique as it occurs so often towards the edges. It is to me a blurring of the infinite field, the diamonds slip under the border and begin to break up. The eye is drawn to the fresh light green in the centre and the rest of the design appears to fall out of focus, an optical illusion created by the degraded diamonds. The border is crude and colourful and the overall impression is of a homespun piece of art, a unique and beautiful example.

Condition:

Some loss to the ends and corrosion to the brown pile but otherwise good.