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Description
73592 Late 19th Century Antique Turkish Oushak Rug, 10'00 x 13'03.
Whispers of the Ancients: A Tableau of Symbols and Sacred Geometry
In the ochre-drenched light of a waning Ottoman sun, this exquisite hand-knotted wool antique Turkish Oushak rug unfurls like a sacred manuscript—each motif a stanza, each border a chant to the enduring beauty of the earth and heavens. Woven in the late 19th century, this Turkish masterpiece does not merely cover ground; it reveals it—charting a symbolic topography in tones of faded saffron, terra cotta, and antique gold. Its composition is both elegant and enigmatic, a dance between geometry and spirit, where ancient tribal codes are preserved in wool.
At its heart lies a cross-like medallion, a cosmic compass pointing in all four directions. Around it spiral stylized Trees of Life, rising like prayers from the earth, their roots and branches echoing the eternal cycle of death and rebirth. These sacred arboreal forms speak of divine order, of growth, of ancestral connection. Interspersed across the field are radiant eight-point stars—symbols of cosmic harmony, celestial protection, and spiritual awakening. But perhaps most compelling are the octagonal gul motifs, their bold forms adorned with eight outward hooks and central nested diamonds. These are tribal emblems and protective seals—glyphs of identity and guardianship. The hooked extensions (Cengel) serve as amulets to deflect evil, while the inner Eye motif (Goz) watches with vigilance, warding off misfortune.
Woven into this mythic field are other ancestral signs: coiled snakes (Yilan) slither with quiet grace, ancient tokens of protection, healing, and transformation. Small bird motifs take flight in stylized form, fluttering between the trees as messengers between worlds. There are hand-comb symbols, linked to protection from the evil eye, and floral bursts that whisper of fertility and paradise. Each detail holds meaning, placed not randomly, but with deep intention—woven into memory by hands that knew the language of signs.
The borders frame this sacred narrative with resounding rhythm. Ram’s horns (Koc Boynuzu) declare strength and virility on the earthy olive backdrop. Tulips and saz leaves, once the pride of Ottoman gardens, now bloom eternally in wool. Lozenge motifs, sometimes interpreted as the Elibelinde (the female form with arms akimbo), appear repeatedly as symbols of fertility and matriarchal continuity. All of this is encased by inner and outer meandering guard borders, flowing like protective rivers that encircle and preserve the spiritual heart of the Oushak rug.
This is not simply an antique Turkish rug—it is a woven cosmology, a silent guardian, a song of earth and sky held within a thousand knots. It carries the breath of Anatolian ancestors, the rhythm of tribal chants, and the poetic silence of centuries. A work of beauty, meaning, and memory—forever grounded, forever watching.
- Abrash. Age Wear.
- Hand-knotted wool.
- Made in Turkey.
- Measures: 10'00 x 13'03.
- Pile Height: 0.24 of an inch.
- Date: 1880's. Late 19th Century.
