Lot 175

EUROPEAN RUG TABRIZ

A remarkable wool carpet with machine-knotted pile on cotton warp, probably made on the so-called Brussels loom. This remarkable and rare Persian design from the workshops of Tabriz depicts an ideal Garden of Eden and refers to the so-called 'golden era' of classical Persian carpets during the Safia dynasty (1501-1736), when the city workshops of Tabriz, Isfahan and Kashan produced stunning court carpets. The design is very rare and unusual, as the fauna in the field of the carpet is represented by two currently endangered animal species that are indigenous to Iran today, namely the Mesopotamian danek (Dama mesopotamica) and the Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor). The brick-red field is surrounded by a wide ivory border and the rich ornamentation of palmettes, curvilinear ruffles and arabesques complements the unique animal.