Page 233 - ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS Carpets, Ceramics Objects, Christie's London Oct..27, 2022

■*212
A KANSU RUG
EAST TURKESTAN, EARLY 19TH CENTURY
Uneven wear with associated repiling, ends rewoven
7ft.4in. x 3ft.7in. (224cm. x 110cm.)
£5,000-7,000 US$5,800-8,100
€5,800-8,100

■*213
AN 'RKO' MEDALLION KHOTAN RUG
EAST TURKESTAN, CIRCA 1800
Even overall wear and corrosion, associated repiling and some scattered
repairs
4ft.11in. x 3ft.3in. (151cm. x 99cm.)
£5,000-7,000 US$5,800-8,000
€5,800-8,000

LITERATURE:
'The RKO family', Hans König, HALI, Issue 110, p.102, fig.10
Charles Grant Ellis first coined the phrase 'RKO' in 1967, when discussing the
design of a Chinese rug in the Textile Museum. His description of the dynamic
'stroke-and-dash' field design as being akin to the famous sonic waves of
the RKO Picture Inc. logo was so apt that the term has stuck (see C.G.Ellis,
'Chinese Rugs', Textile Museum Journal, vol II/3, Washington DC., 1967, p.48).
In his seminal article on the group in HALI, Hans König concluded that the
212
'RKO' rugs are defined as an idiosyncratic group of rugs woven by weavers
in Ningxia, Kansu and Khotan. Whilst often differing dramatically in their
appearance, the group share a number of design characteristics, such as the
dynamic 'stroke-and-dash' field pattern, a small central medallion, a small
format, similar tonal palette and most have bold end panels in the place of a
conventional border. The motifs within the central roundel vary, but are most
commonly characterised by either having a pierced fret-work pattern, a floral
rosette or a dragon-fret work centre, as in the present rug.
According to König, all of the 'RKO' rugs woven in East Turkestan were
produced in Khotan and display undyed, slightly depressed, cotton warps
and woollen wefts. He notes that almost all display rounded corner, however
the present rug is one of a smaller group of rectangular form. A similar rug of
■*214
rectangular form was formerly in the collection of Hans König which sold in
A KHOTAN RUG
these Rooms, 25 October 2018, lot 294. Unlike conventional rugs, the 'RKO'
TARIM BASIN, EAST TURKESTAN, LATE 18TH CENTURY single column with just two individual compartments, see Murray L. Eiland,
group do not have a four-sided border surround, but instead feature bold
Uneven light wear, localised repiling, ends rewoven Chinese and Exotic Rugs, London, 1979, pl.37. Two further examples include
end panels with various interpretations of the sea-mountain-sky pattern.
5ft.9in. x 3ft.3in. (175cm. x 98cm.) one with a 'Yun-Tsai-T'ou' cloud-band border that is in the Victoria and
Comparable patterns can be found on narrow, vertical pillar rugs and on
Albert Museum, London (Schürmann, op. cit., pl.87) and a slightly later, early
some pile wall hangings, as well as on other Chinese carpets. £8,000-12,000 US$9,200-14,000
19th century example, that was exhibited by John Eskenazi at TEFAF 1994
€9,200-14,000
('Marketplace', HALI, Issue 74, p.150). A closely related example bearing both
Typically the 'RKO' group measure no more than 5ft. by 2ft.6in., which would
The present lot is one of a small group of Khotan carpets woven by the an octagonal and a square medallion within a fret-band border was offered
suggest that they were woven for a specific purpose, such as saddle covers.
Uyghur, which are identified by their formation of stacked compartments at Christie's London, 21 April 2015, lot 105, and a carpet displaying two
Contemporary writings record the use of similar rugs as altar covers, where
containing bold eight-pointed medallions. Likened visually, both by Volkmann compartments each containing a square medallion was with John Eskenazi,
the central panel would fit the top of the altar while the pelmet decoration
and Schürmann, to the medallions used in the Kazak rugs of the Fachralo London (Murray L. Eiland Jr., 'East Turkestan Rugs Revisited', HALI, Issue 85,
at either end would hang down at the front and back, (Sandra Whitman,
group, their form is also closely tied to ancient Sino-Tibetan geometric p.99, fig.18). The largest example in the group, comprising two columns of
'Articles of Faith', HALI 194 Winter, 2017, pp.67-69). A closely related
medallions, as seen in the silver Tibetan tangka coins which were first three compartments each containing an eight-pointed medallion, was sold
example, with a fret-dragon medallion but devoid of end panels, was with
struck in the 17th century, (M. Volkmann, Alte Orientteppiche, Munich, 1985, from the Hans König collection in these Rooms, 25 October 2018, lot 287,
Sandra Whitman and is illustrated by König (HALI 110, p.105, fig.14).
pl.108, p.246 and Ulrich Schürmann, Central Asian Rugs, Frankfurt, 1969). (Martin Volkmann, Old Eastern Carpets, Munich, 1985, pl.108, p.246) and
213 The majority of other comparable examples from this group consist of a which is discussed as a group by Marcus Voigt, HALI, Issue 197, p.197.
230 In addition to the hammer price, a Buyer’s Premium (plus VAT) is payable. Other taxes and/or an Artist Resale Royalty 231
fee are also payable if the lot has a tax or λ symbol. Check Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue.