Lot 137

AN ANTIQUE RUG HERIZ

The hand-knotted wool carpet on cotton warp is again a classic design that made the Persian town of Heriz and the surrounding villages famous in the third quarter of the 19th century. The multi-layered central geometric medallion is presented here in its classic form and shape, and in the very centre of the rug is the so-called magic eye - a white diamond divided into four triangles on an indigo background is an ancient protective symbol and is sometimes also called a 'diamond'. The wide border on this Heriz is rather austere, typical of the period of its creation, and alternates 'oak leaves' again with 'magic eyes'. A very striking motif is the geometric tree of life in blue, with the magic eyes in a total of four different colours alternating gracefully in elongated hexagons within the tree. The design of the Heriz carpet from the turn of the 19th century is generally much less condensed than that of later examples after the Second World War, when many more filler motifs appear on the carpet ground.