Lot 146

A MASHAD CARPET

A hand-knotted wool rug on cotton warp, a beautiful giant piece in the typical design and darker colour palette of the historic Khorasan region, centred on the pilgrimage city of Mashhad (north-east of Iran). The history of carpet production in the region is reliably documented from the 16th century at the latest, although modern production stems from the revival of traditions in the 19th century, when Mashhad began to produce mainly large palace pieces that gained considerable popularity in Europe during the first half of the 20th century. Many of the older Mashhad, which adorn the interiors of European palaces and museums, are machine bound, but the present example is hand bound and in natural colours (the shades suggest the vegetable colours from the root of the dyer's moth and the leaves of the indigo tree). The design is traditional, with a central repeatedly artfully layered 16-point medallion of various shapes, surrounded by flutings, palmettes and stylized drops. A representative authentic piece with an impressive composition. Professionally cleaned on both sides.