Antique Oushak Rug #42697 from the Nazmiyal Collection
Oushak Rugs - Oushak also spelled Ushak, is both a town and a province in the Aegean region of western Turkey, approximately one hundred miles south of Istanbul (Hence the term - " Oushak Rugs "). Situated in the Anatolian highlands, the province has been a center of Turkish carpet production since before the 1300s. Oushak rugs are exceptionally patterned and well-executed, and are highly valued today.
Although fragments of Turkish Rugs from the ninth century CE have been found in Istanbul, they are rare and not well-preserved. It is not until the thirteenth century that substantial pieces of pile carpets have survived. One such group, termed the Konya Rugs, was discovered in layers of carpets from within a mosque in central Anatolia. They date to the time of the Seljuks (11th to 14th centuries) and illustrate the fine coloration, weaving and pattern designs for which the Seljuks are so well known. Motifs are stylized renderings of flowers, tendrils and leaves as well as geometric patterns. Kufic designs--stylized Arabic script--are seen on borders of carpets from not only this period, but throughout the continuum of carpet production after the advent if Islam.
Antique Oushak Rug #44475 from the Nazmiyal Collection
The Seljuk Empire extended from Turkmenistan westward across Persia and Anatolia to western Turkey, representing the first cohesive Turkish state. The Seljuks brought Islam to Turkey. Their influence on the arts brought architecture, metal work and textile arts to a new height throughout the Islamic world. Their use of vibrant color, precise weaving and distinctive patterns influenced carpet weaving in the Caucasus region as well. As their power waned at the end of the thirteenth century, the Ottomans gained ascendancy. Classic Ushak / Oushak Rugs were woven during the late Seljuk era and reached artistic heights during the Ottoman period.
The distinctive color palette of Oushak rugs and Oushak Carpets use shades of orange includingcinnabar, coral and salmon, as well as reds, maroon and blue for the field. Colors of motifs include green, blues, ivory, browns, black and yellow. The foundation and pile are wool. The symmetrical knot is used.
Ushak / Oushak rugs and carpets are identified by their distinctive designs, typically either a central medallion or the “Star Ushak.” In the former, a large, bold medallion constitutes the dominant motif, often with proportionally large, intricately woven decorative spandrels. The fields contain finely-woven geometric floral motifs. Borders tend to be wide with cloud bands, palmettes and guls. Antique Oushak rugs or carpets are often very large, sized for architecture in the Middle East during this time. The medallions resemble designs used on Ottoman manuscript covers. Scholars attribute the Persian rendering of some of these forms to Tabriz artisans who were taken to Istanbul in the 1470s.
Star Ushaks / Oushak rugs feature distinctive, star-shaped geometric medallions or guls interspersed with smaller floral motifs. These carpets were included as backdrops and decorative elements in paintings by prominent European artists from the 1400s to the 1700s. Called Lotto, Holbein, Crivelli, Bellini and Memling carpets, the names refer to the artists who depicted them in their works. The earliest were used with Christian images, but later were included in portraits and non-religious scenes. The designs on these “Lotto” carpets evolved; the earliest were geometric representations of fantastic, mythological animals, while later patterns included stylized arabesques, palmettes and star designs. Many of these exceptional carpets are today housed in museums throughout the world.
Prayer rugs were also important Ushak / Oushak rug weavings. Several fine examples illustrate the characteristic ornamentation and color common to Ottoman-period Ushak / Oushak rugs.
