Authentic 1850s Samarkand Handmade Silk Rug

This circa-1850 vintage silk consists of an elaborate all-over design of floral motifs and arabesques in shades of pink, yellow and inky blue against a field of abrashed red. A muted blue border with floral abstractions completes the look of the 19th century vintage carpet. The vintage Oriental carpets from Kashgar, Yarkand and Khotan in the Chinese occupied Autonomous Region of Sikiang are collectively known as Samarkands - lands of arid steppes, deserts and mountain ranges traversed for thousands of years by caravans of merchants and traders from China to Western Europe along the Silk Route. Vintage oriental rugs from this region are typically rendered in a glossy wool, occasionally embellished with richly brocaded silk and metal-thread. Unlike Persian antique area rugs with their reds and blues, Samarkand carpets have soft colors with startling additions: magenta with acid green, peachy beige with brown, saffron yellow with lacquer red, bone with brown or slate blue.