Milas rug (54)

Milas prayer rug from south west Anatolia,Turkey

Age: circa 1870

Dimensions: 6′.0"x4′.1" (183×124 cm)

The ivory field contains a red pinched mihrab with four rayed lozenges as the central motif and five multicolor rosettes along the sides.The ivory spandrels are patterned with straight vines and palmettes.The soft apricot main border displays stylized palmettes alternating with rosettes and small blossoming sprays.There are two minor borders:A yellow inner stripe with an undulating vine on three sides and small diagonal cartouches on the other;the outer ivory minor is ornamented with colorful rosettes.There are four guard stripes of which three are in zig-zag patterns and one is a bitonal sawtooth.The upper end finish is substantially intact with a two tone kilim and a partial braided end strip.The wool is soft and velvety.All the colors are from natural sources.The rug is in good condition.