When the bombardment began, the German Angst was cultivated by the media. However, after the real Schwarzkopf and his professionals had done their job, happy days were here again. Now, the old questions remained: What would come up for auction, would there be new record prices set, and how would average goods fare? We shall see.
 | LeftA rather stiff Pinwheel Kazak (Illustration 1) with an array of 10 pinwheels and a Borjalou arrowhead border, 288x143, was negotiated after the Nagel sale for $21,100. Right Lot 600 found a new owner at $21,900. Dated first half 19th century, it had light blue pinwheels and the usual concatenated kufic/diamond border, 213x183, (Illustration 2); it was estimated $26,000-$29,000. |  |
Rippon Boswell's March 9 auction, a source for dealers and bargain hunters, saw a light turnout with only 60 people in the room, among them 22 successful bidders. A total of 167 lots were offered, 12% of which did not sell during the auction and 21% which were provisional sales to be negotiated between bidders and consignors. (It is not easy to determine the results of a German auction immediately following the sale, because many sales are provisional and some lots are knocked down to "ghost bidders," who exist simply as a number and who are used by the house to keep the mood in the sale room high.) On March 9, five pieces were carried away by a well known Danish dealer, whose best buy at $1,500 was a mid 19th century Tekke main carpet fragment (Lot 135) with a Gurbaghe minor gul, excellent colors, a narrow border, and some damage. The same buyer fetched a 2x3 gul Tekke torba (Lot 18), pre-aniline dye era, for $530. A Shasan silk jajim (Lot 43), 210x154, $670, should be mentioned (see Herrmann ATT2, plate 36), and a similar one at Mangisch (Lot 800), which was estimated at $1,550.
Nagel's March 14 auction was the last chapter in the first main art auction of the year, held in the firm's narrow premises shortly before the move. Though 230 lots were cataloged, only 60% sold to about 40 successful bidders in the room, to 40 commission bids, and nine phone bidders. Lot 3970, the first of that afternoon, was an 18th century Aubusson, 185x225, without border, which fetched the highest price of the sale at $17,200; it was estimated at $8,300. There was no interest in a Shusha-Qarabagh (Lot 4199), 650x220, estimated at $15,500.
On May 11 200 hopeful bidders filled the Rippon Boswell auction house. More than 50 of them were successful and two-thirds of the 207 lots sold. Despite this low percentage, this was the house's second best sale with total sales of $890,000 (1.6 M. DM). (The November, 1989 auction of the 1.14 M. DM Mughal carpet was the house's best sale.)
From Anatolia all auction houses offered pile rugs nearly exclusively; very few kilims were available except from Mangisch, who sold Karamani, Afyon, Aydin, and Konya flatweaves from $2-$6,000. Rippon Boswell's Lot 68, an 18th century West Anatolian Ghiordes in low pile with a red field containing three mihrabs, 108x101, formerly in the Donhoff collection, was estimated $16,700; it was bought by an Italian dealer for $11,100. For $10,000, the same dealer picked up below estimate Rippon Boswell's Lot 62, a 180x168 red ground, two-octagonal medallion Bergama dating from the first half of the 19th century. RB's Lot 60, a 178x160 Bergama, 100 years older than Lot 62, sold for $20,000, six times its estimate to a New York dealer. Its red ground featured two lozenges, but the rug had suffered considerable moth damage. A battered 17th century Transylvanian rug sold for $3,300 at Nagel, while another Transylvanian piece, 158x118, gained a respectable $20,600 at Mangisch (see Schmutzler reprint no. 340).
Ushak carpets of the 17th century were offered in London and Wiesbaden. Christie's medallion Ushak, Lot 209, 518x281, sold only at its estimate of $3,550 due to its poor condition and drawing. Sotheby's medallion Ushak, Lot 272, 702x380, was unique in its carnation and tulip guard borders as well as in the drawing of its field; it deservedly earned $46,100, doubling its high estimate. A comparable medallion Ushak (Nagel, October 1990, Lot 263) was still a bargain at $24,400 for the London dealer. A small Ushak offered as Lot 131 by Rippon Boswell was attributed to the early 17th century and also from the Donhoff collection; it was 205x133, had a red ground and light blue four-lobed medallion and lozenge, and almost doubled its estimate at $47,200. The star among the Ushaks as well as of Rippon Boswell's sale was a red ground double niche piece, Lot 114, 162x116; until 1960 it was in the Bernheimer collection. Estimated at $33,300, its record price of $105,000 was paid by a New York dealer.
There were many 19th century Caucasian rugs and flatweaves with standard design to be seen in all European catalogs. To begin with, from the top of the mountain, a rare dragon carpet, 359x195, appeared as a late entry in the Rippon Boswell sale. In excellent condition, its red ground hosted six yellow dragons and white and green cross bands, and it was boldly dated 18th century. Considering its light and bright colors, the color composition more closely resembling later dragon soumaks, a 19th century date would not have done harm to this posh piece. The carpet was knocked down at the imperial price of 200,000 DM ($111,000, estimate on request). Other Caucasians confined themselves to the expected price range: no Star Kazaks, no stars, some starlets.
A rather stiff Pinwheel Kazak (Illustration 1) with an array of 10 pinwheels and a Borjalou arrowhead border, 288x143, was negotiated after the Nagel sale for $21,100. Of two Pinwheels at Mangisch, Lot 616 which was estimated at $12,900 did not sell, while Lot 600 found a new owner at $21,900. Dated first half 19th century, it had light blue pinwheels and the usual concatenated kufic/diamond border, 213x183, (Illustration 2); it was estimated $26,000-$29,000.
One medallion Lori Pambaks differed only slightly in overall guls, stars, and small motifs. Sotheby's Lot 35, 258x184, sold for $13,500, while Rippon Boswell's Lot 38, 261x174, made $7,800. Nagel's Lot 2488, 220x160, was estimated at $8,800 but was unsold. At Mangisch a crossbred Lambalo/Lori Pambak, 300x180 made $12,900. Two almost identical small white ground Kazaks with the vertical part of the Lori Pambak's cross motif in their centers showed up: Sotheby's Lot 38, 152x122, sold for $15,600, while Rippon Boswell's Lot 47, 113x117, made $15,000. The Rippon Boswell piece was dated with an Islamic and Armenian inscription to 1913, deterring dealers as this group of rugs is usually assumed to be much earlier. [Ed. Note: It is interesting that one could take 100 rugs of a type and any number of knowledgeable dealers and collectors will affirm that they all date, without question, to the 19th century, except for the one with the credible date of 1913 (who, after all, would fake a late date?).] Christie's Karachov, Lot 223, 244x168, featured a red ground and high pile; it sold for $23,800, almost twice its estimate. Three Shield Kazaks are worth noting. Christie's Lot 224, 221x180, with hooked motifs between stepped triangles in the main border, made $25,400 (estimated $9,800-$13,000). Nagel's Lot 2480, 206x154, had been repaired and was estimated at $8,000; it sold for $6,100 (see Tschebull, pl. 31). Mangisch's Lot 602 was 245x183 and sold for $8,400 (estimated $9,600).
Other Caucasians of interest included three at Sotheby's. Three medallion Fachralo, Lot 26, was dated 1851, 284x147, and sold for $23,800 (estimated $13,100). A blossom Karagashli, Lot 70, was 144x102 and sold well above its estimate at $9,800. Lot 66, Genje, offered a polychrome diagonal cane field and sold for $12,300 (estimated $8,200). At Mangisch, Lot 617, the Tschebull No. 1 Kazak with four and a half medallions, 192x125, sold for $4,500. Rippon Boswell's Lot 142, a 203x119 blue dominated striped eccentric fragment estimated at $22,000, failed to sell, such also was the fate of Lot 143, a 196x115 mottled chessboard rug, which was probably due to its unrealistic catalog price of $27,800.
Caucasian flatweaves delivered no surprises. A Bird verneh (Rippon Boswell Lot 139) brought $15,000. At the Mangisch auction, a Dragon soumak, Lot 599, 302x197, fetched $10,600 while Lot 595, a sileh estimated $14,200, 292x208, sold for $9,000. Sotheby's Lot 81, a three medallion soumak, 259x236, sold for $9,000. A Kuba soumak with all over palmettes, 182x140, sold at Rippon Boswell for $8,300 while a mid 19th century Bijov soumak, 244x102, netted $10,000, too low for its $15,300 estimate.
Almost all weaving tribes from Central Asia were represented, albeit no spectacular pieces were offered. Christie's Lot 225, a Tekke main carpet featuring four rows of 11 guls, Gurbaghe minor guls, and broad striped kilim ends, doubled its estimated to bring $16,400. In Zurich, Mangisch offered more main carpets. A circa 1800 Salor torba, 42x106, with three rows of six guls and low pile (see Loges almost identical pl. 19), sold near its estimate at $7,700. At the Nagel auction house, an unusual Arabachi (?) double ensi runner type, Lot 2524, 291x97, with cotton warps, estimated $9,400, did not sell. An Arabachi juval, Nagel's Lot 2401, 72x140, estimated $4,300, comparable to Edelman's October 1982 Lot 331 however with aniline red, failed to sell (Illustration 3).
An Arabachi juval, Nagel's Lot 2401, 72x140, estimated $4,300, comparable to Edelman's October 1982 Lot 331 however with aniline red, failed to sell. |  |
At the Sotheby sale, a Bokhara suzani, Lot 10, 247x188, was much more eccentric in its drawing and for its silk ground than Lot 11, 247x189. But Lot 10 sold for $8,200, while Lot 11 fetched $11,500, having been displayed in three museum exhibitions and on a poster. A Shakhrisyabz suzani, Rippon Boswell's Lot 90, 228x199, was bought by an English dealer at its estimate for $14,400. Another Skakhrisyabz, 226x162, was a steal at Nagel for $1,700.
Sotheby's and Christie's in London seem to have a near monopoly on Persian large carpets and French Aubusson/Savonnerie carpets. Sotheby's sold a pictorial Ravar Kerman, Lot 205, 310x200, for an amazing $52,200 (estimated $20,000) and a Savonnerie, Lot 292, 601x398, for $102,000 (estimated $30,000). Christie's highest priced carpets were two Bakshaish, Lot 319, 452x357, $23,800, and Lot 321, 466x442, for $26,200 (estimated $6,000-$10,000).
Most exciting was Sotheby's Lot 12, two Qajar embroidered and appliqued tents, one round (540 cm in diameter) and the other rectangular (528x270), which tripled its estimated and netted $100,000. A Malayer zoo of giraffes, horses, cats, deer, peacocks, birds, bears and fish, guarded by two horsemen, Lot 162, 325x180, sold within its estimate for $11,500. Two extremely denselyknotted rugs at Christie's included a boteh Kerman, Lot 268, 198x124, for $22,100 and a boteh Senneh on multi-colored silk warps, 206x137, which did not reach its high estimate of $27,800.
From the Far East came a cartouche Khotan, Rippon Boswell Lot 22, 256x124, bought by an Italian dealer for $16,100; and an Indian Agra carpet, Sotheby's Lot 187, 367x220, which doubled its estimate and fetched $32,800. Nagel's mille fleurs carpet, Lot 2566, was low in pile and estimated $38,900; it was sold as a special deal for $26,700. A funny Peking temple carpet (Illustration 3) fetched $12,900 at Mangisch. An early silk embroidery, Rippon Boswell's Lot 91, went to a Hong Kong dealer at twice its estimate for $10,000.
 | LeftOffered were 20 African Shoowa Rafia velvet mats, resembling abstract paintings, each $200-$500 Right ...mostly fragmented 9th-13th century Pre-Columbian textiles, and 43 early Coptic textiles, fragments from tunics and curtains. |  |
This was no glamorous season, but what can be expected? There is no escalating demand as for cars and vintage Coka-Cola cans. Collectible rugs remain hidden in private collections for one or two generations until they reappear on the market. Museums in Europe are like black holes: what they once attract, they will never let loose. Acquisitions and donations sleep in the darkness of storage bunkers. Fashion shifts gravitational centers. As almost all great Persian court carpets have been caught by some "black hole," scissors now reign creating worn fragments which are promoted by exhibitions and dealers as the "in" textile to collect -- the larger the hole, the higher the price. So, what is quality? What should a newcomer begin to collect? Where is a navigator? Advice by dealers is welcome, but no dealer likes rug bought from other dealers or -- horrible! -- bought at auction. Like the lonely sailor in storms around the Cape of Good Hope, the collector afloat in a flood of rugs must chart his course and find his safe harbor by himself.
