Pinwheel Kazak
227 x 153 cm (7' 5" x 5')
Caucasus, second half 19th century
Condition: good, low pile in places, several small repairs
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool

While pinwheel Kazaks are one of the most consistent types of Kazak rugs, there are small variations that help to both define and understand this weaving classification.
The first thing to note about this example is that it is narrower in complete width but also within its field than many other examples.
This example once sold at Sotheby's London in October 1993, is one of the few examples with variation in both field elements. Firstly, the central pinwheel has only three arms rather than four, and the white ground rosettes do not fill the field evenly. One is cut off partly at the bottom of the field and in the centre, there are two places where the rosettes have been replaced by other tribal motifs.
These individual elements may perhaps indicate a slightly earlier dating to the more standard versions.