Antique Kashan, Persia, early twentieth centuryElegantly stylized shrubs or trees of life repeat in staggered array across the field of this opulent antique Kashan. The forms  More »

Antique Kashan, Persia, early twentieth centuryElegantly stylized shrubs or trees of life repeat in staggered array across the field of this opulent antique Kashan. The forms are cleverly articulated to suggest a latent design of reciprocal ogival compartments, in which the narrow bands of the ground between the shrubs function as a defining lattice. The border reverses the color scheme of the field with a series of red shrubs on a blue ground to create a pleasing frame or contrast. The plush lustrous pile imparts a luminous quality to the design, enhancing the controlled intensity of the color. Style: Kashan Origin: Persia Size: 11 ft 05 in x 14 ft 03 in (3.48 m x 4.34 m)   « Less

Antique Serapi, Persia, late nineteenth century The term Serapi is used to distinguish the finest of the antique Heriz carpets produced in Northwest Persia, and this lavish  More »

Antique Serapi, Persia, late nineteenth century The term Serapi is used to distinguish the finest of the antique Heriz carpets produced in Northwest Persia, and this lavish example epitomizes that special blend of color and crisp geometric design that sets Serapis apart. Here a monumental, finialed floral medallion in black and ivory reigns supreme across the vibrant red field, surrounded by ivory spandrels at the four corners. Elegant flowering sprigs and palmettes fill the intervening red ground, echoing the details in the ivory spandrels. A grand ‘turtle’ or palmette vinescroll border frames the field, retaining its red ground. The controlled precision of the drawing, along with the graphic use of color and design make this a special carpet, even among the best of Serapis. Style: Heriz-Serapi Origin: Persia Size: 10 ft 07 in x 14 ft 03 in (3.23 m x 4.34 m)   « Less

Antique Tabriz Rug from Northwest Persia, circa 1900A sumptuous array of vines and palmettes repeats across the field of this elegant antique Tabriz. The vines are arranged  More »

Antique Tabriz Rug from Northwest Persia, circa 1900A sumptuous array of vines and palmettes repeats across the field of this elegant antique Tabriz. The vines are arranged in regular rhythms to form an allover pattern of adjacent ogival compartments. But amidst the rich subordinate floral detail within these compartments and the uniform golden color across the field, the ogival forms recede from view, make the effect of the design more subtle and reserved. An elegant palmette vinescroll border encloses the entire composition, reversing the blue on gold coloration of the field. Style: Tabriz Origin: Persia Size: 10 ft 03 in x 14 ft 04 in (3.12 m x 4.37 m)   « Less

Antique Khotan Oriental Rug, late nineteenth centurySurely the most elegant and aristocratic of antique Khotan carpets, this is a masterpiece of grace and delicacy. The  More »

Antique Khotan Oriental Rug, late nineteenth centurySurely the most elegant and aristocratic of antique Khotan carpets, this is a masterpiece of grace and delicacy. The smaller octagonal medallions are no more than outlines on the soft tan ground. Even the main cocoa ground medallion is finely detailed within. The classic Khotan volute border too is unusually fine in scale and treatment. Spare details in mauve and taupe within the predominantly tan palette demonstrate the noble restraint in the use of color as well. Style: Khotan Origin: East Turkestan Size: 9. ft 05 in x 14 ft 04 in (2.87 m x 4.37 m)   « Less

Antique Agra, India, circa 1900Recalling the great carpets of Moghul India, an allover design of undulating vines and palmettes unfolds with classic grace and poise  More »

Antique Agra, India, circa 1900Recalling the great carpets of Moghul India, an allover design of undulating vines and palmettes unfolds with classic grace and poise across the field of this lovely antique Agra. The tone-on-tone coloration causes much of the design to recede into the background, thereby endowing the carpet with a decorative subtlety. The broad main border continues the design and coloration of the field, preserving the decorative restraint of the field in a unified effect. The lustrous pile contributes further to the pale tone-on-tone effect of the palette. Style: Agra Origin: India Size: 10 ft 07 in x 14 ft 04 in (3.23 m x 4.37 m)   « Less

Style: Sultanabad Origin: Persia Size: 10 ft 09 in x 14 ft 04 in (3.28 m x 4.37 m)

Style: Sultanabad Origin: Persia Size: 10 ft 09 in x 14 ft 04 in (3.28 m x 4.37 m)   « Less

A stately but exuberant design of flowering vines spreads elegantly across the field of this sumptuous antique Kerman. At the center of the field is a scalloped diamond  More »

A stately but exuberant design of flowering vines spreads elegantly across the field of this sumptuous antique Kerman. At the center of the field is a scalloped diamond medallion filled with lush flowering vines around a star-shaped core. Arabesque cornerpieces complete the field with a delicate mesh of flowering vines in the intervening space. A vinescroll main border frames the field, along with flanking minor vinecsroll borders. The richness of the design is mollified by the minimal contrast of the subtle tone-on-tone coloration, underscoring the superior decorative quality of this lovely carpet. Style: Kerman Origin: Persia Size: 12 ft x 14 ft 04 in (3.66 m x 4.37 m)   « Less

Antique Kerman, Lavar, Persia, late 19th centuryAn exquisitely fine and delicate design of ogival medallions unfolds gracefully across the lacey field of this sumptuous  More »

Antique Kerman, Lavar, Persia, late 19th centuryAn exquisitely fine and delicate design of ogival medallions unfolds gracefully across the lacey field of this sumptuous antique Kerman. Jewel-like radial palmettes in cruciform array enrich the interior of the medallions, while similar forms arrayed more loosely fill the remainder of the field. The delicacy of the design is complemented beautifully by the softness of the palette with pale salmon, blue, and cream tones, highlighted Style: Kerman Origin: Persia Size: 10 ft x 14 ft 05 in (3.05 m x 4.39 m)   « Less

Antique Silk Persian Tabriz, circa 1900Tradition holds that only God can make a perfect thing, but this exquisite antique silk Tabriz certainly comes close. For sheer harmony  More »

Antique Silk Persian Tabriz, circa 1900Tradition holds that only God can make a perfect thing, but this exquisite antique silk Tabriz certainly comes close. For sheer harmony of graphic detail and overall grandeur, this carpet has no peers, going back to the classic Persian masterpieces made for the Safavid Shahs. On this carpet the traditional emphasis on rich effects of color is still at work, in contrast to the more subdued, golden palette more typical of antique Tabrizes. Beneath the delicate, lacy texture of the arabesque detail that fills the medallion and comer pieces, there is a remarkable geometric substructure of star, cruciform, and oval shapes, attesting to the masterful design of the carpet. We enjoy the rug at the surface level, but only because there is a world of complexity just beyond our view. Style: Tabriz Origin: Persia Size: 10 ft 07 in x 14 ft 05 in (3.23 m x 4.39 m)   « Less

Style: Tabriz Origin: Persia Size: 10 ft 10 in x 14 ft 05 in (3.30 m x 4.39 m)

Style: Tabriz Origin: Persia Size: 10 ft 10 in x 14 ft 05 in (3.30 m x 4.39 m)   « Less