4 x 8 Vintage Turkish Oushak Rug 54001

54001 Vintage Turkish Oushak Rug, 04'06 x 08'06.

Woven in the quiet highlands of Western Anatolia, this hand knotted wool vintage Turkish Oushak rug tells a timeless story of life, lineage, and protection through the language of symbol and thread. At the heart of the composition lies a stepped medallion, its geometric edges festooned with a garland of blooming palmettes that speak of prosperity and rebirth. Within this medallion pulses a Bereket motif—the ancient fertility symbol composed of "elibelinde" (hands-on-hips) forms representing women and ram’s horn motifs denoting men. At the center, an all-seeing "eye" gazes outward, cast in weave as a talisman of protection to guard the harmony of the family against the envy of fate. Trefoil pendants and delicate floral bouquets anchor the medallion at either end, grounding its ethereal elegance in botanical abundance.

This central medallion floats within an open dark pink field, whose saturated tone has mellowed through time into a rich antique blush. The open space amplifies the visual gravity of the medallion and invites the surrounding elements to blossom with clarity. Mushroom-hued corner spandrels bloom with lotus blossoms and lilies—symbols of purity and renewal—while Ram’s Horn motifs and tribal emblems embedded in their forms channel strength and ancestral wisdom. From each corner, rectilinear florals stretch like reaching vines, their angular stems breaking into the field like the first growth of spring through thawed earth.

The rectangular endcaps offer their own story within this poetic tableau. Set against a rosewood ground, they are adorned with tulips—emblems of divine love—boteh motifs echoing the eternal flame, and burdock forms once believed to dispel misfortune. These botanical guardians infuse the Oushak rug with both ornamental beauty and folkloric power, connecting the weaver’s hands to generations of symbolic inheritance. Together, these end elements serve as bookends to the central medallion, enclosing the composition like the covers of a cherished manuscript.

Framing this visual narrative is a floral border of dual carnations and serrated leaves, winding across an earthy brown backdrop with rhythmic grace. Each carnation whispers of affection and admiration, while the serrated leaves hint at resilience and growth through hardship. This main border is gently flanked by inner and outer carnation meander guard bands rendered on a soft mushroom-toned ground—protective traces that echo the central Bereket’s theme of unity, love, and safeguarding. This vintage Turkish Oushak rug, both restrained and radiant, is a vessel of encoded blessings—an Anatolian inheritance rendered in wool, still blooming centuries on.

• Abrash. Antique Wash.
• Hand knotted wool.
• Made in Turkey.
• Measures: 04'06 x 08'06.
• Pile Height: 0.19 of an inch.
• Date: 1960's. Mid-20th Century.