Antique White Star Kazak Type A | #240101A | 5'8" X 7'3"

Antique Kazak "White Star" Type One Rug

Southwest Caucasus | 5'8" x 7'3" | Dated 1883–1884

This exceptional Antique Kazak rug is a rare and brilliant example of the most coveted variety within the “White Star” group—Type One. Handwoven in the Southwest Caucasus and dated 1883–1884, it features a wool pile of symmetric knots on a wool foundation, with natural dyes and handspun materials throughout.

Type One Kazaks are distinguished by their narrow border of interlocked small squares and a central dark blue star, flanked by red octogrammes above and below—all set against an undyed cream field. Our piece displays this classic layout with remarkable clarity and balance. The presence of half-stars and fractional motifs at the top and bottom suggest it is part of a larger overall design, a signature feature of this group.

Particularly noteworthy is the bold rhomboid and triangle arrangement accompanying the large lower half-star—elements that enhance the geometry and rhythm of the piece. Scattered throughout are small birds and animal figures, with lazy S-shapes, hooks, and spearhead forms connecting the main motifs in a lattice-like structure that preserves visual harmony without crowding.

While some sources have dated this group to the early 19th century, the consensus based on dated examples points to a more accurate window in the 1870s to 1880s. Type One rugs show no stylistic evolution, which suggests a highly controlled, possibly single-workshop origin, likely Armenian. No village has been conclusively identified, but the homogeneity of design, size, and color across surviving examples strongly supports a single locale.

This rug is in excellent condition, with unfaded natural dyes—indigo for blue, madder for red, and local vegetal sources for yellow (though not weld, which was commonly used for brighter yellow hues). Aside from minor macramé unraveling in one corner and expected corrosion in the brown dyes, it has been beautifully preserved.

Given its age, condition, and design fidelity, this is arguably the finest example of a Type One Kazak White Star rug to come to market in the past decade. An iconic piece that belongs in any serious Caucasian rug collection.

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