In pursuit of provenance. Wool Karabakh runner rug with a floral motif
Weblog
In the In pursuit of provenance blogs series, we focus each month on a different object from the Netherlands Art Property (Nederlands Kunstbezit, NK) collection, which is the subject of extensive provenance research. This collection is made up of objects that were returned to the Netherlands after the Second World War. They include paintings, works on paper and applied art, such as furniture and ceramics. By giving this research renewed impetus, we hope to be able to identify additional information on provenance. This month: Wool Karabakh runner rug with a floral motif.
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Oriental carpets: a lucrative trade
These days, many Dutch people have carpets at home. This was also the case in the period leading up to the Second World War. Before and during this period, large numbers of carpets were sold to Germans in the Netherlands. One particularly well-known dealer was Alois Miedl, who, under German supervision, was appointed liquidator (‘Verwalter’) of the Goudstikker art dealership in Amsterdam. Sources from the archives show that he traded in carpets with carpet dealers such as Benezra from The Hague and Garabed Tellalian from Amsterdam. The names of other intermediaries are also known, although there is little or no relevant background information about them to be found. Many of the carpets traded may have been confiscated, stolen or sold on the black market during the war. Several were returned to the Netherlands after the war. The NK collection therefore contains a reasonable number of oriental carpets and rugs. Because of the large turnover in carpets at the time of the war combined with the fact that they can be difficult to recognize, linking up objects to their rightful owner can be a challenge.
Valuable textiles in the home
This ‘Karabakh’ runner rug is an example of one of the type of carpets in the NK collection. Probably made in the late 19th century, it is 550 cm long and 112 cm wide. The potential width of the carpet is determined by the width of the loom used to make it. There is more variation possible in length, which is why the runner rug emerged as a type of carpet. In the Middle East, runner rugs were traditionally placed on either side of a square carpet, often in public places, such as mosques. In a European context, they were used to cover staircases or long narrow spaces, such as corridors.
As is usual for Oriental carpets, the name refers to the region where it was made. This also applies to the Karabakh runner rug that features a motif that is typical for carpets from the Karabakh region, in modern day Azerbaijan, bordering the North of Iran. Depending on the area in the Karabakh region, this motif can vary from geometrical to a more realistic floral motif similar to Persian carpets from Iran. This carpet features a repeated floral pattern in red, white, blue and yellow shades within a geometric frame.
The provenance research
Some information is available about the provenance of this runner rug. It was sold by Alois Miedl, who served as the liquidator for the Amsterdam art dealer Jacques Goudstikker in 1941, to 'Reich Marshal’ Hermann Göring. However, the recent investigation reaches a dead end with the person who sold the rug to Miedl. The stock books show that Miedl bought this rug from the dealership A. Tellalian, then based at Amstel 123 in Amsterdam. A search for this dealership revealed that Tellalian advertised in the Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad newspaper. This would appear to suggest that Tellalian was a well-known seller of oriental carpets among Jewish clientele. Alexandre Tellalian was a carpet dealer from Armenia. After his death in 1939, his son Garabed Tellalian took over the dealership. After the war, Garabed Tellalian was arrested in Paris for trading in stolen art goods, and carpets in particular. This is why it is assumed that the carpets that he sold to Alois Miedl had been stolen.
Help wanted
A specialist team of researchers at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) is currently working on new and additional research into the provenance of objects in the NK collection. They are also providing digital access to the results of their research and making relevant information and data permanently available. Giving this renewed impetus to research in this area promises to provide an even better picture of the objects.
If you have more information about this Karabakh runner rug (NK1080), the Garabed Tellalian dealership or other parties who sold carpets to Alois Miedl, please contact us at: estitutie@cultureelerfgoed.nl
This blog was written by Laurie Gnade and Gina Moen, junior provenance researchers at the RCE.
Update May 2023
In response to the call for information about the Karabagh runner, the RCE received some responses, which unfortunately did not provide any further information about the origin of NK1080. In contrast, the information available to date on Garabed Tellalian has been supplemented with details of his trade, the dissolution of his case and his involvement with the Armenian Apostolic Church. Due to the latter, he was most likely not persecuted during the Nazi regime. What is still missing is information about the trade between Tellalian and Alois Miedl, as well as information about Tellalian's clientele. Therefore, it is currently impossible to say who owned the Karabagh token before it entered the collection of Garabed Tellalian.
Tips and additional information is very welcome and can be sent to restitutie@cultureelerfgoed.nl.