Found in Siberia!
2400 years old. Woven before Alexander the Great. Photo courtesy of The Hermitage Museum.
Found in Addison/Dicus Showroom!
Woven in the last six months.
The Pazyryk Carpet
The Pazyryk Carpet pictured at the top is the world's oldest pile rug. It was found in a burial mound in the Pazyryk Valley in Siberia. Experts agree that it was most likely not made there, rather Persia or Armenia. They have dated it to some time in the 4th or 5th Century BCE.
It's on display at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Pazyryk Carpet's webpage describes the decoration:
"The central field is occupied by 24 cross-shaped figures, each of which consists of 4 stylized lotus buds. This composition is framed by a border of griffins, followed by a border of 24 fallow deer. The widest border contains representations of work-horses and men."
What Would It Look Like Now?
I love the piece and the marvelous heritage that it confers on our business. So I was thrilled to find weavers in Pakistan making authentic reproductions.
They employ a lucious Pakistani wool called ganzi. It's from sheep grazed high in the mountains hence it's thick and loaded with lanolin, which will give it a fresh look for a very long time.
This version features forest green in the rug's field.
Here is a detail of a Pazyryk reproduction featuring red in the field.
Pazyryk reproduction laid out in the Addison/Dicus Artifact Garden
True to the original piece, all ours are square. We have two pieces on hand and two more will be here soon.
Any of us at the Addison/Dicus Company will be glad to discuss the rugs with you.