Along the old Silk Route
Antique Afghan Ersari Elephant-Foot Gul Carpet
Antique Collection
A substantial main carpet laid out with three columns of large octagonal 'elephant-foot' guls on a rich oxblood-and-brown ground, the medallions quartered and studded with small geometric devices in indigo, rust and ivory. Stepped cruciform minor guls float between them, all enclosed by multiple geometric borders, in the classic manner of Afghan Ersari/Turkmen weaving. The deep saturated reds, dark abrash and softly worn pile with surviving end fringes give it a genuinely old, dignified character.
The tradition
Along the old Silk Route
The antique collection brings together rare textiles and carpets gathered along the old Silk Route that once threaded through Hunza over the Mintaka and Kilik passes. These are survivors — pieces valued for their age, their hand-spun wool and silk, and the way their natural dyes have aged into soft, complex colour.
Because each antique piece is one of a kind, it is best understood as a document of its region and period rather than a repeatable design. We describe the design family and motifs honestly and leave precise dating and provenance to inspection in person.
Motifs & meaning
Reading the design
Antique pieces carry the motif vocabularies of the regions they passed through — Caucasian, Turkmen, Anatolian and Central Asian.
Medallion & field
The classical garden plan at the heart of many old carpets.
Protective borders
Layered guard bands framing and safeguarding the design.
Tribal güls
Heraldic medallions identifying the weaving group.
Stylised flora
Vines, rosettes and the tree of life signifying paradise.
Materials & technique
How it is made
Handwoven in wool and silk with natural dyes, these older pieces show the irregularities and softened colour that only time and hand-work produce.
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