This wool and cotton Afshan rug is from the Kuba region of the northern Caucasus. The term Afshan refers to a particular design, derived from 17th and 18th century Persian and Indian floral and arabesque sources, rather than a group of people or a geographical area. Rugs like this one were made throughout most of the 19th century and possibly earlier, and sit within the broader category of Shirvan rugs.

Carpet weaving in the Caucasus has a long history, the earliest known group being the so-called 'dragon' rugs which date back to the 17th century. The Afshan design is related in structure and colour to dragon rugs, and is in turn an obvious design source for many later Shirvan rugs.

This rug belongs to a collection of five rugs and three nomadic trappings covering the main carpet making regions of Asia, from western Turkey across Iran (Persia) into Central Asia. The collection was given to the Powerhouse Museum by Dr George Soutter to acknowledge the achievements of the Oriental Rug Society of NSW, an affiliated society of the Museum, to emphasise the significance of the Museum's rug collection and to encourage its growth. The collection, which includes floor coverings and tent partitions, horse decorations and saddle bags, documents different types of rugs and trappings and highlights their varying functions.

Christina, Sumner, 2004

Rug, Afshan runner, wool / cotton, symmetrical knots, Shirvan district, Kuba region, north Caucasus, c 1800

Long rectangular runner, with predominantly woollen warps, cotton wefts and knotted woollen pile. The dark blue field is filled with rosettes and palmettes linked by vertically aligned and somewhat geometric stems and tendrils in natural cream wool. The main border is in Kufic style with narrow guard stripes. The palette is soft, with varying shades of blue, red, yellow and brown.

The materials of this Afshan rug are typical of Caucasion carpets in that the warps are of undyed wool plied with the occasional strand of cotton, the wefts are cotton and the symmetrically knotted pile of wool.

Afshan carpets were made during most of the nineteenth century and possibly earlier and sit within a broader category of rugs called Shirvan. The term Afshan refers to a particular design, derived from 17th and 18th century Persian and Indian floral and arabesque sources, rather than a group of people or geographical area.

This Afshan runner has been in the collection of the donor, Dr George Soutter, for over 20 years.

The rug was exhibited in the 1983 exhibition 'Unravelling the rug puzzle' in Stage One of the Powerhouse Museum and was published in the catalogue of the same name, p.15. In August 2004, the rug was installed in the exhibition 'Pathways through paradise: oriental rugs from Australian collections' in the Powerhouse Museum's Asian Gallery, and is published in the accompanying catalogue on p.45.

Gift of Dr George Soutter under the Australian Gov

No marks.

2004/136/1

1795

1240 mm