Number SOLD
Material Wool
Style Prayer Rug
Type Anatolian
Origin Anatolian
Size 178 x 124
Age 1860
The Manastir Turkish clans get their name from their original habitats on the slopes of Balkan mountains atop which Greek Orthodox monasteries (like Mount Athos) perched. Most Manastir rugs are kilim woven making knotted pile carpets like this rarer. Aesthetically it belongs to a design group called Mecidi (Majidi) after the Sultan Abdul Majid who reigned 1839-1861 on account of certain stylistic factors in carpet design which appeared during his reign. They are sometimes called Ottoman Baroque. The white field is knotted with undyed sheep's wool, dotted with abstract symbols and crowned with a domed mosque at the top. Note the protective halos around the mosque--fascinating! The mehrab prayer niche is ghost like and jagged, somewhat electrified. Perhaps most puzzlingly the border has two distinct patterns, both of oversized roundel forms.
You can't only be a customer of Hadi Maktabi. While his main purpose is rug dealing, he starts with story telling and ends with history selling. That's what I call high-end art curating and closing it all with an entertaining friendship. George El Hani, CEO Levica, Lebanon 🇱🇧
The idea of purchasing valuable rugs and other artwork online from an overseas seller is daunting for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that, not being able to examine and feel the rug for yourself, you are never entirely certain that the origin, age or condition of the rug corresponds with the dealer’s description. For me, I could never take this step unless I had absolute trust in the integrity of the dealer, and my recent experience with Hadi confirms that my faith in him was well placed. Every detail of the antique rug expertly explained by Hadi was accurate and when I finally received the actual rug, it turned out to be even more stunning than his photos depicted. F. Alsagoff, Singapore
I first met Dr. Maktabi as a lecturer on carpet history and was captivated by his passion for the subject. Only later I knew him as a dealer, though even in our financial transactions, Hadi has been a gentle guide and friend. He has understood my taste and interests and made wonderful suggestions, but never in a pushy way. That is to say I have enjoyed working with him on several levels and wish to continue our excellent relations and dealings far into the future. A. Harvey Pincis, formerly Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyyah Museum (Kuwait), Latvia 🇱🇻