Here is an exciting and richly composed antique Oriental rug – an antique runner length rug, woven in the inimitable Kirshehir style in Turkey during the waning years of the nineteenth century. Generally speaking, antique Kirshehir rugs and carpets, which have historically been produced in central Turkey, are prized by collectors of antique rugs the world over for their incredible coloration, superior wool, and the precision that typifies their drawing. This particular example beautifully expounds upon each of these qualities, and to excellent effect. The colours are rich throughout – from the vibrant hues of the vertical stripes that run throughout the field, to the complex and ornate borders. Small tribal elements of design appear throughout this antique Kirshehir carpet, imbuing it with a great sense of tribal aesthetic values. The verticality of the central lines enhance the format of this runner, giving it an added sense of length.
