25 May 2005 Wiesbaden Springs into Action
There are two excellent reasons to visit Wiesbaden in May: the first is that the asparagus season is in full swing and the second of course is the major spring auction at Rippon Boswell. The Maltzahn's sale has something to please most carpet and textiles lovers, on all budgets, and their 28 May auction will be particularly of interest for kilim collectors with a good selection of Turkish, Persian and Caucasian flatweaves.
If the predictions of style forecasters are to be believe then minimalism is dead and a resurgence of colour and design can be expected. The best possible event resulting from this scenario would be that tribal or collectible rugs might start becoming more fashionable. Indeed if the results of Sotheby's London recent April rug sale are to be taken as a sign of a change in the market then many of the rugs and carpets in this sale deserve to sell since the estimates are generally reasonable.
Yet there are four lots in the sale that show how well some weaving traditions have created a harmony between design and lack of design which has resulted in textiles that are meditations on colour and proportion and the rhythm of linear designs: lot 11 a Konya kilim fragment (4,000 euros) and lot 87 a Shahsavan jajim (6,400 euros) use stripes of colour in different but dynamic ways; lot 80 a Yüncü kilim (3,300 euros) has a violent and deeply abrashed red with sparse ornamentation while lot 67 a Kansu carpet (24,000 euros) has beautifully balanced medallion and spandrels design resting on a soft and calm madder field.
What the sale lacks is a single high ticket collectible rug or textile that will grab the headlines. That having been said the sale's totals should be high enough in terms of sold percentages thanks to the sensible estimates which we would take to indicate that the reserves are generally low as well. We expect the Bijar wagireh lot 163 (16,500 euros) to do well, the large all-over design Heriz lot 113 (35,000 euros) as well as and lot 172 a proper thick pile all wool foundation Lesghi, lot 172 (€9,000 euros) which we are told is not a Shirvan or Kuba with a Lesghi design. The auction house has its complete catalogue and all the lots illustrated on its extensive website at www.rippon-boswell-wiesbaden.de | 
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