Lot Essay
A very similar carpet is illustrated in W. Grote Hasenbalg: Der Orientteppich - seine Geschichte und seine Kultur, Berlin 1922, vol.3, pl.62. The group is discussed, and a number of similar carpets illustrated, by Thomas D. Cook and Sumru Belger Krody: "A Persian Puzzle", (Hali, 131, November-December 2003, pp.88-92). The origin of this design, both the field and the border, is shown to have come from Kirman "vase" carpets. Following their research the present rug can be attributed to South Persia in the 18th century. Their basis for this, particularly following their attribution on from a long paragraph giving coherent reasons why such an attribution is unlikely, is not clear. In their discussion they completely ignore the considerable quantity of rugs woven in North West Persia which share the technical characteristics (2 shoots red weft; ivory wool warp; hardly depressed) found in the present rug. The moving of "vase" designs to the North West Persian area is also very well documented. This seems a far more probable origin for this small and unusual group of rugs.