Vintage Samarkand Rug BB5806 4'6" × 9'0" $25,000

This circa-1920 vintage Samarkand kilim rug features a mirrored design of abstract flowerheads and vases issuing flowering vinery in shades of brown, beige and pink against a field of light brown. A multicolored border of linear abstractions completes the look of the vintage carpet.

The antique carpets from Kashgar, Yarkand and Khotan in the Chinese occupied Autonomous Region of Sikiang are collectively known as Samarkands – lands of arid steppes, deserts and mountain ranges traversed for thousands of years by caravans of merchants and traders from China to Western Europe along the Silk Route.

Rugs from this region are typically rendered in a glossy wool, occasionally embellished with richly brocaded silk and metal-thread. Unlike Persian rugs with their reds and blues, Samarkands have soft colors with startling additions: magenta with acid green, peachy beige with brown, saffron yellow with lacquer red, bone with brown or slate blue.