Light blue on a Caucasian Kazak is a quieter conversation than the dominant red of the canon. Indigo, fermented from the leaves of the woad plant in clay vats, takes weeks to mature and behaves differently every season; weavers in the south Caucasus reserved indigo for accent ornaments rather than ground colour because of how unpredictable the dye could be. A Kazak that runs ivory and light blue across its primary surface is therefore a comparatively unusual reading of the form, more refined than the canonical red.

The carpet was hand-knotted in India over roughly four months by three weavers. Wool was hand-spun on a charkha, with the ivory left undyed and washed only in spring water, and the light blue worked from a single dilute indigo bath. The Turkish symmetric knot was used throughout on a cotton warp and weft. The pile finishes at roughly ten millimetres after shearing. Selvedges are hand-wrapped in goat hair, fringes are integral warp ends knotted in pairs.

The composition

An ivory ground carries three light-blue medallions running along the long axis, each a hooked diamond enclosing a smaller cross figure. Filler ornaments in deeper indigo and a touch of madder pink scatter the field. The border is a band of reciprocal arrowheads in ivory and light blue, framed by two narrow guard stripes. The pale palette gives the geometry a graphic quality unusual in Caucasian work, closer to the cleanness of Anatolian village rugs than to a typical southern Caucasian pile.

What you are buying

Antique ivory and light-blue Caucasian work is rare and commands accordingly. Equivalent nineteenth-century pieces have crossed the block at Sotheby's London and Bonhams in the $10,000 to $25,000 range. This new hand-knotted revival, in vegetable-bath wool on cotton, sits well below replacement cost. The piece holds value with use; the indigo deepens and the ivory warms over years rather than fading.

The piece in a room

8' x 10' (244 x 305 cm) anchors a primary living area or a generous primary bedroom. The pale palette pairs well with white-painted plaster, lime-washed walls, oiled oak or rift-cut walnut floors, and natural linen upholstery. Light-blue and ivory together are notably calm; the rug works in a room intended for reading, music, or a quiet evening rather than a high-traffic family living space.

Conservation

An ivory and pale-blue ground shows soil sooner than a red ground. Vacuum twice weekly on suction-only, with the beater bar disengaged. Rotate the rug end to end every six months. Place a discreet runner inside the doorway so footfall is filtered before it reaches the pale field. Schedule a hand wash by a wool conservator every four to five years.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted wool on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 244 x 305 cm (8' x 10')
• Construction: Turkish symmetric knot
• Knot density: ~100-130 KPSI
• Hands: 3 weavers, ~4 months
• Dye: vegetable (indigo, madder, undyed wool)
• Origin: India

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