Second half 19th century, 171 x 134 cm, Central Asia, West Turkestan

A rare ensi woven by the Kizil Ayak tribe in a hatchlu cross design. The four sections of the red field are filled with evenly drawn insi kush abstract birds. The horizontal dividing bar is unusually wide and comprises an inner panel of hooked diamonds within a lattice; the blue vertical bar can be interpreted as a tree flanked by abstract animals on both sides. The large, offset hooked diamonds seen in the frieze below the field are a characteristic feature of Kizil Ayak ensis. A parallel piece was exhibited at the ICOC in Washington, D.C., in 2003 (see Eiland). – Several repaired areas in the lower section, good overall condition, the original wide, flatwoven selvedges survive.

EILAND JR., MURRAY L.(ed.), A World Of Oriental Carpets & Textiles. Washington, D.C. 2003, fig. 14, p. 181