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Rare Silk Ottoman Turkish Ghiordes Prayer Rug — Mid-18th Century

Size: 5 ft 8 in x 4 ft (1.73 m x 1.22 m)

Provenance: From a Los Angeles collector

A rare and historically significant Ottoman Ghiordes prayer rug woven in silk, centered upon a brilliant red mihrab beneath a finely articulated architectural arch. Delicate flowering plants, suspended ornaments, and multiple intricately patterned borders create the impression of a miniature sacred interior. At the same time, the luminous silk surface gives the design a jewel-like brilliance rarely encountered in surviving Anatolian prayer rugs. Closely related eighteenth-century Gördes prayer rugs are preserved in major institutional collections, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Saint Louis Art Museum. Particularly noteworthy is a 1774 carpet in The Met whose stepped mihrab, supporting columns, suspended ornament, and use of silk and metal-wrapped silk thread place it within the same luxurious Ottoman prayer-carpet tradition. Most comparable eighteenth-century Gördes prayer rugs held by museums are woven predominantly in wool. The use of silk in the present example therefore elevates it into a significantly rarer category. Its precious material, early age, refined architectural composition, brilliant coloration, and close relationship to museum-held Ottoman prayer rugs give it genuine collecting importance and make it one of the most historically compelling pieces in the sale. Please contact our rug experts at auction@nazmiyal.com or call us for any questions you may have at 212.545.8029. Please note that all lots are sold "AS IS. " Condition reports are given as a courtesy to our clients and shall not be deemed as a guarantee of the lot's condition, quality, and authenticity. The absence of a condition report does not imply the item is in perfect condition.