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Type: Silk Kashan, or Isfahan, Pictorial Rug with Metal Thread Size: 201 cm x 130 cm Knots: 8 x 9 cm2, approx. total 1,881,000 Description: Late 19th/early 20th century. There has been a long tradition of pictorial rugs in Persia and during this period the tradition was maintained through a small and very special group of which this work is a part. The scene is of a paradise, either terrestrial or spiritual, with a wide range of wildlife and trees in a garden landscape. The scene recalls Persian miniatures and might even be derived from a landscape depicted in the popular narrative poems of Nazami, in particular the story of Layla and Majnun. The palette employed is delightful with mellow golden pastel shades forming the background for the many animals and plants. The superb border, with its madder ground and animals and plants, has many of the stylistic features that suggest Kashan as the place of origin, whilst latterly Isfahan produced such material. However, much of the excellent work of these central Persian cities is linked, so a final attribution is not straightforward. An interesting feature of the rug is how three strands of warp are used to produce small areas of metal, which is not only a luxurious feature but would also be cool to touch. It is to be noted that on the tree trunk there appears to be some characters written in Persian script; they seem to read (on reverse)? DBM, or (on front) DBM. As yet it is not known what this indicates. |
