Rug - 72 cm - 49 cm - Turc Istanbul

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€ 200
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Richard Ebbers
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Selected by Richard Ebbers

Certified appraiser at Federation TMV with 30 years' professional antiques experience.

Estimate  € 450 - € 550
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From Turkey, model Turc Istanbul, silk on silk, 72 x 49 cm, generally in good condition and professionally cleaned, mid-20th century origin.

AI-assisted summary

Description from the seller

Authentic Turkish Istanbul or Hereke silk rug, antique: 49 x 72 cm -

Translation of the scriptures

1. At the top: "شراب اندر کف"
Translation: « Wine in hand » or « The wine in hand ».

On the left: "Ching inside the palm"
Translation: "The harp in hand" or "The lyre in hand".

3. On the right: "کتف اندر کف"
This appears to be a deformation or stylization, but probably intentional to rhyme with the others. The word 'کتف' means 'shoulder', which here is likely metaphorical or poetic.

4. At the bottom: **"Cup of Awake Intelligence"**
Translation: 'The cup that awakens the mind' or 'The cup of the awakening of intelligence'.

The motif is typical of feast scenes or classical Persian poetry, often linked to the works of **Hafez** or **Omar Khayyam**, who sing of the pleasures of wine, music, and poetry.

Perfect, I’ll explain the symbolism of this scene in Persian culture.

---

### **1. The Old Man (Wise Man or Poet) with the wine goblet :**

* He often represents the **Sufi** or the **mystic poet** (such as Hafez, Omar Khayyam or Rumi).
* The wine in Persian poetry is not just an alcoholic beverage, it's a **spiritual symbol**:

* **Mystical awakening**, divine ecstasy.
* **Transcendence of Reason** to attain divine love.
* Wine is a terrestrial "forbidden" but allowed in the "spiritual world", which denounces social hypocrisy.

### **2. The Dancing Woman (Wine Dancer):**

* She embodies **carnal pleasure**, **earthly beauty**.
* But in Sufi poetry, it also becomes an **an allegory of the free soul** that dances in the quest for union with the Divine.
* The reclining and relaxed position symbolizes the abandonment of moral constraints.

### **3. The musician (Harp or rubab player) :**

* It symbolizes **cosmic harmony**.
Music is seen as a means to attain spiritual ecstasy and to vibrate with the universe.
* It is the sonic equivalent of mystic wine: a path toward losing oneself in the All.

### **4. The inscriptions (Epicurean Poetry):**

* They evoke the three elements of the mystic feast: **wine (شراب), music (چنگ), and pleasure (کتف)**.
* The hem evokes the 'cut that awakens the mind', thus an invitation to transcend material life through pleasures that lead to higher consciousness.

---

### **Global symbolism:**

This kind of scene is not merely a celebration of earthly pleasures:

* It is a **metaphor of the Sufi mystical path**:

* We break free from rigid rules (religious or social).
* We seek the **divine truth** through art, wine, beauty, and love.
* It’s a gentle revolt against hypocrisy and a quest for authenticity.

Authentic Turkish Istanbul or Hereke silk rug, antique: 49 x 72 cm -

Translation of the scriptures

1. At the top: "شراب اندر کف"
Translation: « Wine in hand » or « The wine in hand ».

On the left: "Ching inside the palm"
Translation: "The harp in hand" or "The lyre in hand".

3. On the right: "کتف اندر کف"
This appears to be a deformation or stylization, but probably intentional to rhyme with the others. The word 'کتف' means 'shoulder', which here is likely metaphorical or poetic.

4. At the bottom: **"Cup of Awake Intelligence"**
Translation: 'The cup that awakens the mind' or 'The cup of the awakening of intelligence'.

The motif is typical of feast scenes or classical Persian poetry, often linked to the works of **Hafez** or **Omar Khayyam**, who sing of the pleasures of wine, music, and poetry.

Perfect, I’ll explain the symbolism of this scene in Persian culture.

---

### **1. The Old Man (Wise Man or Poet) with the wine goblet :**

* He often represents the **Sufi** or the **mystic poet** (such as Hafez, Omar Khayyam or Rumi).
* The wine in Persian poetry is not just an alcoholic beverage, it's a **spiritual symbol**:

* **Mystical awakening**, divine ecstasy.
* **Transcendence of Reason** to attain divine love.
* Wine is a terrestrial "forbidden" but allowed in the "spiritual world", which denounces social hypocrisy.

### **2. The Dancing Woman (Wine Dancer):**

* She embodies **carnal pleasure**, **earthly beauty**.
* But in Sufi poetry, it also becomes an **an allegory of the free soul** that dances in the quest for union with the Divine.
* The reclining and relaxed position symbolizes the abandonment of moral constraints.

### **3. The musician (Harp or rubab player) :**

* It symbolizes **cosmic harmony**.
Music is seen as a means to attain spiritual ecstasy and to vibrate with the universe.
* It is the sonic equivalent of mystic wine: a path toward losing oneself in the All.

### **4. The inscriptions (Epicurean Poetry):**

* They evoke the three elements of the mystic feast: **wine (شراب), music (چنگ), and pleasure (کتف)**.
* The hem evokes the 'cut that awakens the mind', thus an invitation to transcend material life through pleasures that lead to higher consciousness.

---

### **Global symbolism:**

This kind of scene is not merely a celebration of earthly pleasures:

* It is a **metaphor of the Sufi mystical path**:

* We break free from rigid rules (religious or social).
* We seek the **divine truth** through art, wine, beauty, and love.
* It’s a gentle revolt against hypocrisy and a quest for authenticity.

Details

Era
1900-2000
Title additional information
Turc Istanbul
Nr of items
1
Length
72 cm
Width
49 cm
Material
Silk on silk
Country of Origin
Türkiye
Condition
Overall in good condition
Professionally Cleaned
Yes
Manufacturing period
Mid 20th century
FranceVerified
75
Objects sold
Private

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