A Happy Tribal And Decorative Antique Turkish Oushak Rug, Country Of Origin / Rug Type: Antique Turkish Rugs, Circa Date: 1900 – This brilliant Oushak carpet from the turn of the 20th century creates a cheerful atmosphere in the room. This example stands out in its use of color and its exceptional quality. Oushak has been a major production center of antique Turkish rugs since the late 15th century, and antique Oriental rugs from this area are still highly prized by collectors and designers.
Oushak is a town in west-central Anatolia. One of the reasons for the establishment of a carpet weaving center in Oushak was its access to excellent quality wool and an abundance of dye materials. They are often wool pile rugs that are worked on a wool foundation, as with this example. They stand out in their colors and designs.
Medallion designs and geometric motifs are found throughout the antique rugs of the region. This Turkish Oushak carpet uses both of these design features. It has a large, central medallion with various motifs throughout the field and borders. Antique Turkish Oushak rugs are known for their unusual color combinations, but this one stands out, even among other rugs of the region, for its extensive use of vibrant orange color.
This remarkably decorative rug uses a simple color palette consisting of only four colors. It uses a deep reddish-orange, a lighter orange, light blue and ivory. The incorporation of the blues and ivories helps to mellow the brightness of the oranges. In this rug, when ivory is used in the motifs, it is a solid color, but when it is used in the background, it is lightly mixed with orange. This gives the lighter background areas an orange undertone that blends nicely with the rest of the carpet.
This is a magnificent antique area rug that is of outstanding quality. The carpet has a tribal feel because it appears as if the carpet was not laid out before its creation began. Many of the motifs do not mirror each other, and it lack precision in the execution of the design. This gives it the feel of a hand-drawn painting. Each design element is like the stroke of a brush. This decorative antique Turkish Oushak rug is a work of art would make a cheerful addition to any formal or informal room design.