Second half 19th century, 305 x 192 cm, North East Anatolia

Described as "vernehs" in older literature, covers of this kind woven in compartment designs are now called "zili" on account of their weaving technique. Produced in a single piece, this large flatweave is one of the examples using blue warps, which were probably woven by Armenians in the East Anatolian border region close to the Transcaucasus. Cotton has been used for the white sections. The Azeris in the Karabagh region wove almost indistinguishable covers, but they used red warps. In addition, there are slight differences in style. While the compartments are almost always exactly square in Azeri zilis, they are taller than they are wide in this Armenian flatweave. – Very good condition, the original finishes are preserved all around.