Sivas ' Jail ' Carpet / Turkey
- Size:2.5 x 1.46m
- Wool on cotton
- Age 40 -50 yrs approx
- Excellent condition - washed and ready to use
- Classic Sivas Star design
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Since the 19th C the central Anatolian region of Sivas was a large centre for workshop rug production, with surrounding villages producing smaller prayer rugs.
During the 19th century, a number of reforms were put in place to improve the conditions and organisations of prisons in the Ottoman Empire. The rehabilitation reforms recommended the establishment of teaching programs within the facilities and organising workshops in which inmates were trained in sewing, weaving and carpet weaving. The idea was that prisoners would work for the duration of their sentence and would be paid for their employment. The money would go towards the prisoner’s upkeep, a part to the state treasury and the remaining amount held in reserve for the inmate. Sivas Jail carpets followed the more detailed Hereke palace carpet traditions and patterns using good quality wools and classically derived all-over pattern designs. These rugs favour softer colour tones with an emphasis on warm earth tones and pastel colouration.
.The very limited number of Sivas Prison or Jail carpets on the market today date from the mid-20th century, and the design can include an identifying signature and serial number in the outer borders. The production of these rugs started in 1949 and stopped in the mid 1980's Other prisons such as those in Erzincan, Elagzi followed the Sivas example and also hand-produced excellent decorative rugs for sale.
