second half 19th century, 44 x 98 cm, South East Caucasus, Moghan-Savalan

A long side panel of a mafrash, finely woven in the sumakh technique in a horizontal stripe design. In the dark blue central band, four hooked hexagons with a cruciform central motif are interspersed with six small rosettes. The two white bands are decorated with crosses arranged in offset rows, which are alternately depicted as complete forms or as pairs of halved motifs. These large textile containers (mafrash) were used by nomads to store household utensils and served as cargo bags during their migrations. Two complete examples of the same design have been published by Tanavoli and Azadi, and a third one was illustrated in the catalogue for our A 98 auction in 2018. A narrow side is published in "Zweck und Zier". – Good condition, original finishes all around.

TANAVOLI, PARVIZ, Shahsavan. Flachgewebe aus dem Iran. Herford 1985, no. 46 *** AZADI, SIAWOSCH & ANDREWS, PETER, Mafrash. Berlin-Munich 1985, ill. p. 109 *** RIPPON BOSWELL, A 94, 17 November 2018, lot 6 *** GÃœGEL, ERNST & WÃœHR, RUDOLF, Zweck und Zier. Antike Taschen aus dem Kaukasus und Nordwest-Persien. Traunstein 2010, ill. p. 37