Mid 19th century, 261 x 150 cm, South Caucasus, Azerbaijan

A gorgeous Azeri decorative cover with an elaborate design embroidered on a red foundation in the brocading technique. Offset rows of large diamonds in brilliant and diverse colours cover the whole of the field. The diamonds are notched at the centre and surrounded on all sides by blue hooked vines. The border contains light red and green triangles facing in opposite directions. The exceptionally rich range of colours is reminiscent of Turkish flatweaves, but the netted warps at both ends rather indicate that this zili was woven in the southern Caucasus. – Well preserved except for slight signs of wear and age as well as minor damage to the edges, the original finishes survive.