File:Kuba type carpet, late 18th century, attributed to Caucasus, Metmuseum.jpg

English: Carpet with Geometricized Floral Design

Late 18th century

Attributed to Caucasus

This carpet is representative of the Caucasian weaving tradition with its geometricized motifs and overall design, red ground and other warm colors. The field is composed of repeating large-scale medallion-motifs formed with stylized palmettes, lotus and other flowers, combined with polygonal or star-like patterns. Stylized cypress trees on a stand against a white ground are repeated in the narrow border. A few flowers with rounded leaves on the star-like medallions are remnants of Persian influence and soften the geometrized composition. This powerful design is especially striking on a carpet of this large size and was preferred by commercial workshops, where such carpets with their low knot-count were produced in large quantities for trade.

Catalogue entry:

Kuba Carpet

Next to the ‘dragon’ rugs, the most energetic rug designs that have been produced in the Caucasus are the monumental Kubas of which this is an exceptionally large and powerful example.

It may escape the eye at first that a centre is indicated, composed of a relatively small deeply serrated hooked palmette, surrounded by four small flower rosettes. The central axis springing from this point consists of two huge units of octagonal outline enclosing a deeply serrated floral medallion, and of floral stellate medallions of even larger scale. This second unit is repeated on either side of the centre. As usual with early rugs from the Caucasus the border is quite narrow. Its principal feature is a succession of cypress trees that all point in the same direction.