Antique rare Arabatchie

Antique and rare Arabatchie juval (big bag) circa 1850 natural dyed wool on wool and cotton foundation.

Turkmenistan first half 19th century
Condition: good, missing upper left and lower right corners, lower left repair, original kilim upper ends
Wool warp, wool weft, wool pile
Estimate: € 10,000 – 12,000

Arabatchi chuvals of good age that exhibit large-scale drawing and careful, exact gul articulation are rare and this example belongs to that esteemed group.

It possesses a dark, brooding appearance, a quality that one rug commentator has said that all the best Turkmen rugs display. Here that presence is well balanced by a tasteful use of areas of white wool in the major guls, and of course, the charming, well drawn traditional Arabatchi style flowering tree design elem.

Wide, crisply drawn borders frame the field where some small tertiary elements have been carefully placed and large traditional Arabatchi minor guls, knotted mostly in rare light blue, harmonise well with the large lobed major guls.