CIRCA 1800

Details

A NORTH WEST PERSIAN KELLEH
CIRCA 1800
The indigo field with polychrome herati pattern around a cusped sandy yellow medallion with a rust-red eight-pointed centrepiece and linked polychrome flowerheads, the part sandy yellow and rust-red spandrels similar, in a tomato-red angular flowering vine border between running dog stripes, even light overall wear, scattered small restorations and minor repiling, small reweaves in outer border at both ends, selvages replaced
13ft.5in. x 6ft.10in. (409cm. x 208cm.)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

In the second half of the eighteenth century the court style in Persia moved towards overall repeating designs without the structure seen on earlier examples. A portrait of Nadir Shah (who reigned 1739-49) in the Victoria and Albert Museum for example shows him seated on a carpet whose overall design is superimposed by a small central cusped medallion as seen here (Oriental Carpet and Textile Studies, vol.3, part 1, p.42, pl.1). While that particular carpet is likely to be of Indian origin, the style rapidly caught on. The earliest examples of this exact version of the design appear to have been woven in Khorassan, (see lot 70).

A similar kelleh to the present example was in the James D. Burns Collection, sold in these Rooms, 18 October 2001, lot 249.

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