Prayer Rug (sajjadah) with Design of Single Niche and Stylized Buta Motifs, Caucasian, Republic of Dagestan, 1894. Wool, 91.4 x 154.9 cm. Saint Louis Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Dagen.

Assorted abstracted buta, or pinecone-shaped elements, on this carpet are arranged in staggered rows facing opposing directions on a red background. The term buta is derived from the Persian boteh, and the design later evolved into the paisley motif in Europe. The particular version of the buta seen here has flower heads forming the outline of the shape creating a dazzling overall pattern. Free-floating geometric ornaments appear alongside the buta, with stylized trees, flowers, and a four-legged animal appearing above the arch of the prayer niche or mihrab. The border comprises three bands of different designs. A date woven into the carpet’s niche corresponds to 1894.

This textile was likely made in Derbent, an ancient city in Dagestan, a republic of present-day Russia situated on the Caspian Sea, in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe.