Antique Caucasian Shirvan Rug Size: 4' × 6'4" Date: 1850s Material: Wool on Wool A mid-19th century piece from the Shirvan district of the eastern Caucasus, and one with a design format that stands out even within that tradition. The Lesghi star — a large, spiky, eight-pointed star form with serrated projections — is one of the most recognizable motifs in Caucasian weaving, and this rug is built around three of them stacked vertically on a vivid madder field. Each star is drawn slightly differently in its colour arrangement: the top in ivory and black, the centre in slate blue, the lower in ivory again — a deliberate variation that keeps the vertical repeat from feeling mechanical. The stars are large relative to the field, leaving only narrow margins of madder red visible between them, which gives the composition an almost monumental quality for a rug of this size. Small geometric filler devices — diamonds, triangles, and hooked forms — sit in the field corners between the stars. The border is multi-layered with a camel and blue primary band carrying a repeating geometric device, flanked by narrow guard borders in red and ivory. At over 170 years old the natural dyes remain remarkably strong — the madder field in particular retains a depth and warmth that speaks to the quality of the original materials. An early and well-preserved example of a classic Shirvan format.