CIRCA: 1930’s
Captivating old burgundy coloured large Baluch, with a beautiful abrash throughout and a main field featuring two rows of quirky unconventional octagonal guls / gols (i.e. medallion-like designs). And of those eighteen guls that form the pattern in the main field not one is exactly the same shape, giving the carpet a charismatic eye-catching appeal. Down the center of the carpet, separating the two vertical rows of guls, is an asymmetric totem-like design of variously sized, shaped and coloured crosses. The main field is then surrounded by three primary borders and numerous secondary borders / guard strips; the outer primary border being the so-called ‘rams horn’ design, while the inner two primaries are of flowers. Both ends have an attractive, soumak woven, wide kilim-like finish, each end being of a somewhat different design. Made sometime in the 1930’s, the colours are solid, the warp is primarily wool (with a small amount of hair) while the weft is wool mixed with hair in varying degrees. The pile is low and even throughout but there are no ‘wear-throughs’. Given the funkiness of the central design and the attention to detail in the kilim-like ends, this is no doubt a one-off village weave. Overall it is in very good condition.