Pazyryk Style Area Rug

Wool on cotton foundation, the center field with grid of rectangles each containing a stylized floral cluster, surrounded by rectangles containing avian motifs, surrounded by borders of animals and fruit motifs.

5 ft. x 7 ft. 10 in.

From the Estate of the late Lynette G. Totten, Butner, North Carolina

In 1949 an ancient knotted pile carpet was unearthed at a Scythian burial site in the Altai mountains of Kazakhstan, and dated to about 500 BCE. Now known as the Pazyryk Carpet or Pazyryk Rug, it is still one of the earliest examples of a carpet known to exist. The source of the carpet has been debated heavily, with it being attributed variously to Turkic tribes, Persian-Achaemenid peoples, and Armenians. The carpet features borders depicting single-file horses and riders, as well as other animals, with a central grid of stylized X motifs. The design of the Pazyryk Carpet has been reproduced and reinterpreted in modern carpets, as people continue to find interest in the ancient design and motifs.

Small areas of pile loss near one end; otherwise good estate condition.