Borchalo Kazak prayer rug
Southwest Caucasus
circa 1870
220 x 117 cm (7’3” x 3’10”)
Alg 1528
symmetrically knotted wool pile on a wool foundation

A rare and unusual rug characterised by a two panel design: the lower half of the field consists of an oblong cartouche containing a hooked device (similar to that seen on the traditional prayers rugs ascribed both to Fachralo and Borchalo) on a blue ground flanked at the top by a small pair of hands, a styleme often employed by Caucasian weavers to indicate the directional nature of the prayer rug. The upper portion is decorated by a hooked lozenge within a red compartment typical of Borchalo weavings. The wide ivory border presents a unique hooked cartouche motif of strong tribal character, while the reciprocal trefoil pattern is constantly varying in colour and size, a rather peculiar feature for a rug belonging to a group often distinguished by its iconic elements.

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