Upcoming Austria Auction Company Sale

[View this email in your browser]( Udo Langauer’s Austria Auction Company will hold its 'Fine Antique Oriental Rugs XXXVII' sale on 25 May 2024 at 4pm CEST at its Palais Breuner salerooms in Vienna. There will be many options for the well-informed bidder within a broad selection of 296 unique pieces, which can be previewed on 24 May from 11am–5pm and 25 May from 11am–4pm. One of the highlights in the sale is the exceptional Shirvan pictorial rug above ([Lot 211](. While this is a well-known representation of St George slaying a dragon, it is an unusual theme for a Caucasian rug. This seems to be in the style of the Eastern orthodox church since George is depicted on a white horse and his lance has a cross on its end. However, the saint is revered in the Muslim world as well as the Christian and is often associated with saint days and mistakenly with the nation of Georgia in the Caucasus. The story of St George involves him slaying a dragon that was terrorising a village, and that when the village elder offered his daughter as a sacrifice, George stepped in, slayed the dragon and saved her, then distributing his reward amongst the villagers. This is a powerful narrative that is finely depicted in this rare rug. Also included in the sale is a fine silk Kum Kapu, attributable to 'Hagop Kapoudjian' ([Lot 223](. Rugs from the Kum Kapu workshops in Istanbul are among the most sought-after fine silk pieces in the marketplace, and those associated with the master weaver Hagop Kapoudjian are the eilte within that small group. Kapoudjioan signed many of his more classical style rugs in small initials, but the more unusual designs and commissions were not and this seems to be such an example. When he moved Paris after WW1 and undertook direct commissions from the world richest man, Calouste Gulbenkian, he investigated more small scale designs, and this seems to be an interpretation of the concept behind the millefleur design. In this collecting area, condition is as important as the name of the designer and this rug is in excellent condition and colour. Another standout offering is a Kaitag textile ([Lot 140](. The best of Kaitag embroideries exhibit a primal force that evokes both an impression of the mountainous outposts of Daghestan and the vestiges of an ancient design language in which the last whispers of great Steppe art can still be sensed. In this instance, the circular medallion is contained within an eight-pointed star medallion that is reminiscent of those seen on Kazak rugs. The floss couched silk covers the ground in various colours but it is where it is voided that the white linen ground is shown and revealed to make the pattern. The hooked roundels spin in ten different parts of the central ground to generate the illusion of movement and the range of colours include a light blue and green that help to show both the age and quality of this embroidery. View the many other interesting lots in this auction by clicking below. [Fine Antique Oriental Rugs XXXVII]( [Bid via liveauctioneers]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Copyright © 2023 Hali Publications, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: HALI Publications 6 Sylvester Path London, Hackney E8 1EN United Kingdom Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Hali Publications Ltd · 6 Sylvester Path · London, England E8 1EN · United Kingdom