MAJOR SPRING SALE, 20th May 2000
Turkoman Collectors' Carpets Achieve Good Results
During our Spring Sale, the pulling power of rare Turkoman pieces was proven once again, and there was heated competition between German and American collectors for the best works. Thus a group II Eagle g¸l main carpet (lot 143), a previously unpublished item of museum quality, was knocked down to a committed Californian collector for DM 170,000.
An Arabachi trapping previously exhibited at the Washington Textile Museum (lot 146) changed hands into German private ownership for DM 34,000. Other pieces to remain in Germany were a Salor torba (lot 91) sold for DM 32,000 and a Saryk main carpet (lot 93) knocked down for DM 60,000 (see illustration).
Caucasian carpets were also popular again. Our strict selection and reasonable policy on prices paid off with good results.
A beautiful yellow-ground Shirvan prayer rug decorated with an abstract stripe design (lot 65, see illustration) was called at the reserve of DM 8,000, and rapidly climbed to DM 42,000. The buyer was a well-known American collector who had made the journey especially because of that carpet, and managed to outbid Italian dealers.
A colourful Kuba (lot 155, see illustration) was secured by a London gallery owner for DM 50,000, in the face of heavy competition from Italian and Swiss bidders. A red-ground Three-Medallion Kazak (lot 137), which had survived with all its pile intact, was acquired into a Southern German collection for DM 38,000. The next catalogue number (lot 138), a small and extremely well preserved Kuba with floral stars, was knocked down to a German collector for DM 18,000. Lot 139, a very old Memling g¸l Kazak in need of restoration, went up to DM 20,000 from its calling price of DM 5,000. An Italian gallery owner won the bidding against keen competition from the USA. A Shahsavan trapping decorated with an animal design (lot 75) deservedly fetched DM 30,000.
While large-format Turkish kilims, most of them from the Sailer collection, did not meet with much enthusiasm from the public, some antique Anatolian pile rugs sold successfully. The top price of DM 72,000 was achieved by an early Sarkisla (lot 160), whereas two pieces from the Sailer collection, a Karapinar runner (lot 79) and an Aksaray (lot 81), fetched DM 14,000 and DM 26,000 respectively.
Decorative carpets and textiles are particularly in demand these days. Thus it was not surprising that a Tabriz (lot 102, see illustration) 
more than doubled its reserve of DM 30,000, selling for DM 62,000. Similarly, a decorative verdure (lot 107, see illustration), probably woven in Lille, climbed from its calling price of DM 15,000 to DM 34,000.
Other highlights were two South Persian Luri gabbehs (lot numbers 42 and 45): they easily exceeded their estimates (DM 18,000 and DM 16,000), selling for DM 30,000 and DM 25,000 respectively. Two rare carpets from East Turkestan achieved prices of DM 36,000 (lot 152) and DM 26,000 (lot 166).
Unfortunately, the classic carpets submitted by the well-known Wher collection elicited a disappointing response. Probably due to distinct signs of age, their fragmented condition and old restorations, they received bids neither from private persons nor dealers and remained unsold.