A beautiful and colorful vintage Caucasian Gendje Kazak runner from the fourth quarter of the 19th century — an unusually large example of the distinctive Gendje weaving tradition from the city of Ganja in present-day Azerbaijan. This Kazak features the striking Sevan pattern on a dark red field alongside an allover skewed stripe pattern in alternating navy and ivory, populated with small geometric designs that create a rich visual texture across the surface.
The navy blue border with its crab design in yellow, blue, and red provides a characteristic Caucasian frame of great energy. The Gendje or Ganja region produced a distinctive sub-style of Kazak weaving — combining the bold geometry of the highland villages with the somewhat finer execution of a major urban center — and large-format examples of this vintage are among the most impressive and collectible pieces in the broader Kazak tradition. Kazak rugs, woven by village artisans in the mountainous region of the South Caucasus — encompassing present-day Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia — are among the most boldly designed and vibrantly colored tribal rugs in the world. Their large-format geometric medallions, brilliant vegetable-dyed palette, and the thick, lustrous pile made from high-altitude mountain wool have made them enduringly sought after by collectors and interior designers who prize authenticity, energy, and the beauty of genuine handcraft.
Dimensions: 3' 3" x 8' 5"
Date of Manufacture: 4th Quarter of the 1800s
Place of Origin: Caucasus (Gendje/Ganja, Azerbaijan)
Material: Wool pile on a wool foundation with vegetable dyes
