Antique Shirvan Runner

Period: Late 19th Century
Origin: Shirvan, Caucasus
Dimensions: 117 x 287 cm

this rare late 19th century Shirvan runner highlights a powerful and rhythmic composition featuring a dense vertical lattice of stylized geometric Lesghi stars, heraldic hook motifs, and interlocking tribal cartouches. This structural balance between the prominent dark navy central field complete with its intricate repeating geometric reserves, surrounding wide ivory main border filled with polychrome star-crosses, and elongated gallery format reflects the pinnacle of traditional Eastern Caucasian Shirvan fine craftsmanship world-renowned for its fine weave, decorative clarity, and majestic graphic presence. Textiles of this antiquity are celebrated for their ability to blend highly expressive regional tribal design narratives with a striking, heraldic pattern rhythm.

The color palette is masterfully balanced featuring a primary deep navy-blue canvas contrasted by vibrant madder-red, forest-green, ivory, golden-yellow, and sky-blue accents, framed by a continuous geometric star-and-bar ivory main border flanked by delicate multi-colored barber-pole guard bands. These rich and enduring tones achieved through the expert application of natural vegetable dyes over 130 years ago exhibit a characteristic gentle patina, soft historic abrash, and an organic wool texture that are hallmarks of the finest late 19th century Caucasian regional productions. The multi-layered framing borders create a powerful visual boundary that highlights the superior hand-spun wool quality and distinctive technical finesse of the weaver.

Structural analysis indicates the use of premium hand-spun wool with a characteristically resilient, finely knotted structure and a supple yet sturdy handle tailored for expressive architectural corridors. The exceptional clarity of the intricate geometric outlines, specifically the perfectly balanced symmetry of the central repeating motif sequence and corresponding multi-band borders, definitively distinguishes this antique masterpiece as an authentic late 19th century Shirvan runner production. Ultimately, this decorative textile stands as a premier example of classical Caucasian tribal art representing a peak in both technical endurance and graphic majesty for global collectors.

Stock No: 1255

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