17th C small format medallion Bergama Rug Lot 18

God bless Sotheby's, their carpet department is second to none. However every once in a while I think they are a little too conservative. This is a case in point; They have cataloged this rug as "A WEST ANATOLIAN RUG" and "18th century". It has been suggested elsewhere that this rug is actually 17th century and most likely from the Bergama area. The small squares in the outer guard border are indicative of Bergama see Bergama Rug C. 1900 Sotheby's Doris Leslie Blau lot 66, Bergama prayer rug, West Anatolia, circa 1850, and Bergama Rug ex Bill Price 18th C Lot 47 for other related renditions of the small square element.

The picture in the catalog tends to be very dark (see directly below) and the detail images are much closer to how the rug shows in good light. The details are a touch bright but as close to true as I could get.

Sotheby's Carpets Spring 2009 Carpets Sale: N08563 | Location: New York Auction Dates: Session 1: Wed, 10 Jun 09 10:00 AM LOT 18 A WEST ANATOLIAN RUG 5,000—7,000 USD MEASUREMENTS approximately 9ft. 5in. by 5ft. 5in. (2.87 by 1.65m.) DESCRIPTION 18th century CATALOGUE NOTE The unusual double pendant central design of this rug is found on a rug from a Massachusetts collector published in Walter Denny, The Classical Tradition in Anatolian Carpets, Washington, D.C. 2002, pl. 23, p. 84 and on one now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, see Joseph V. McMullan, Islamic Carpets, New York, 1965, pl. 80, pp. 256-7. The present lot has a different border than the two cited examples being composed of multicolored hooked diamonds rather than stylized serrated leaves. All three of these rugs have a central four lobed medallion that recall those of the 16th and 17th century small format medallion rugs from Oushak, such as McMullan, ibid, pl. 84, pp. 264-5. Seen on www.Sothebys.com