An antique Caucasian Shirvan (or closely related Kazak/Kuba) runner dating to the late 19th or early 20th century, it is a highly valuable, investment-grade tribal textile artifact
The Flat-Selvage Fringe Finish: Looking closely at the backing detail photo, the colored horizontal stripes wrap directly down into a low, flat wool webbing (end-skirt) before releasing the fringe. True antique Caucasian runners feature wool warp foundations that show slight, charming asymmetry and varying fiber textures along the fringe line, unlike the laser-straight cotton fringe tracks of modern workshop looms.
Authentic "Abrash" & Native Dyes: The subtle horizontal shade shifts running across the rust-red and blue fields are true abrash. This phenomenon occurs when hand-spun wool absorbs local root and plant dyes (like madder and indigo) at slightly different rates, a visual hallmark prized by fine rug collectors.
In the Shirvan district, a vertical stack of five massive diamond medallions was engineered specifically to create a powerful, rhythmic visual cadence down long hallways. The inclusion of the nested turquoise cores and the rigid, high-contrast ivory borders with serrated geometric waves represents an iconic regional pattern language.
Key Design & Style Features
- Multi-Medallion Axis: The long field features five large, alternating stepped diamond medallions (varying between rich madder red and midnight indigo) nested with a central elongated turquoise core.
- Intricate Panel Separations: Each massive medallion is anchored and separated by horizontal geometric panels containing traditional tribal starburst and key motifs.
- High-Contrast Borders: The ivory-cream ground of the main field creates a massive graphic contrast, tightly framed by a narrow geometric running-dog or serrated-wave border system.
- Hand-Spun Wool Texture: Woven using 100% hand-spun wool, the rug displays beautiful, organic color shading variations (abrash), particularly visible within the red and blue fields.
