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According to documentary sources, large medallion carpets (of which the Turkish Star Ushak is a
variant type) were woven in the western Anatolian town of Ushak, known for carpet weaving since
the fifteenth century. A number of other carpet designs, including the star medallion pattern of this
rug, are found in pieces which generally have wool, coloring, specific design elements, and
technical features similar to the medallion Ushaks; these carpets can be assigned to the Ushak
region as well.
The Star Ushak is named for the large star-shaped medallions which alternate with smaller
diamond-shaped units. The two elements are arranged, alternating in staggered rows, in the fashion
of the earlier Holbein and Lotto rugs. But the decorative vocabulary of the Ushaks--the medallion
shapes, the arabesque forms filling them, and the vines and small-scale floral elements filling the
interstices between the medallions--marks a total departure from the tradition represented by the
Holbeins, Lottos, and their predecessors. This abrupt change often has been attributed to Persian
influence resulting from the capture of Safavid artists by the Ottomans who sacked Tabriz in 1514.
It recently has been suggested that, although Persian influences did play a role, the transformation
actually took place in the third quarter of the fifteenth century under court direction.The earliest Ushaks may thus represent Ottoman court products in which cartoons drawn by court artists were used. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a tremendous demand for various types of Ushaks developed in Europe. The first Star Ushak appears in a painting of 1534 and representations continue into the seventeenth century. The popularity of the star design in the west is attested to by the number of examples in paintings, by the apparent quantity exported to Europe, and by European copies of the design--carpets dated 1584 and 1585 at Boughton House, Northamptonshire, England. The St. Louis rug has a well-balanced field design and effective coloring. Dark blue medallions are set against a red ground. Although showing signs of its age, it is an unusually small and finely woven example. It has been suggested that the small Star Ushaks were ordered especially for use in Transylvanian churches; an example only slightly larger than the St. Louis rug adorns the Black Church of Brasov. Price is for SET OF 4 PIECES |
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