Late 19th century, 126 x 222 cm, North East Anatolia, Gümüshane region

Collection VOK: Anatolia 6

Knotted multiple prayer rugs showing many rows of niches covered the floors of mosques well into the 19th century, meaning that they were used by believers in public places of worship. Woven in a horizontal format and with two niches placed side by side, this small kilim was made for home use. It is a particularly rare example; comparative pieces have not been published to date. Each of the two green-ground prayer fields contains a tree-of-life beneath red mihrab arches embellished with hooks. The two white sections of the field above them are filled with small polygons, and the niches are surrounded by three vertical bands. The design of the yellow-ground main border – stylised trees with branches bearing carnations – is characteristic of many North East Anatolian kilims. This multiple prayer rug was woven in the small town of Siran in Gümüshane province. Hirsch points out that kilims of this kind frequently served as wall decoration inside the home. – Small restored areas, good overall condition.

VOK, IGNAZIO, Vok Collection. Anatolia. Kilims and other Flatweaves from Anatolia. (Text by Udo Hirsch) Munich 1997, no. 6