Baluch prayer rug; 86 x 156 cm (2`10“ x 5`2“); around 1900; fragment; apart from condition a very interesting study piece; main field and hand panels are filed with trees of life, full of stylised birds; on each top of the trees one find a half of a Barga-Tak leave; the impressing border system has a strong Turkmen influence; inmost border is a “Soldat-border” often seen in Tekkes, outmost border is a Dogadshyk which looks here like a chain of diamonds, the small main border is a Chamtos flanked on each side from a rare type of border which is described from Breuss/Walter in “Belutschen – die WIG-Kollection” on pl. 72. “These pattern bands are reminiscent both of “chicken track” motifs and of heavily modified S-form patterns, but even more of Gushly-Kochak (turkm., “Bird”) guardstripes.” Border design from both of this rugs are comparable, also in the Breuss/Walther rug appears this “diamond-chain-border”. Poor condition, very used, black strongly corroded, Shirasi is original, lower end 1 cm Kilim, upper end no Kilim