Antique Akstafa Prayer Kazak

An Antique Caucasian Akstafa Prayer Kazak rug, knotted by hand with hand-carded, hand-spun, vegetable-dyed wool. Circa 1890.

Akstafa rugs belong to the Kazak weaving tradition of the southern Caucasus, where village weavers developed a bold geometric language of hooked forms, crosses, medallions, animals, plants, and traditional geometric devices. Within this tradition, prayer rugs adapted the architectural form of the mihrab, the niche indicating the direction of Mecca, into the distinctive geometric drawing of Caucasian village weaving. Intended in Islamic tradition to provide a clean, individual space for daily prayer, the prayer-rug format also became an important artistic form in its own right, interpreted differently by weaving communities throughout the Caucasus. This prayer Kazak example is woven with an all-over repeating boteh field and dynamic natural color play. Extremely fine condition for its age, with low even pile.