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Lot Essay
The present lot belongs to the 'golden age' of Persian carpet weaving that occurred in the Safavid era. Under the reign of Shah 'Abbas (1587-1629), the Persian capital was moved to the city of Isfahan in central Persia, where he established court manufactories to produce exceptional carpets for export, diplomatic gifts and the Persian nobility. These carpets were among the finest ever created in wool and silk and they were objects of great prestige and status. The red ground spiral vine gallery carpets are perhaps the most recognisable of these court designs and remain some of the most highly sought-after of all classical carpets, working equally well in contemporary and traditional interiors.
Jessica Hallet's article gives us a clearer understanding of the development of Isfahan carpet design over the 17th century (Jessica Hallett, 'From the Looms of Yazd and Isfahan', in Carpets and Textiles in the Iranian World, 1400-1700, Oxford and Genoa, 2010, pp.90-123). She bases her conclusions principally on Portuguese inventory records, which are supported by paintings. She suggests that the carpets without any saz leaves in the design, such as this one, are the earliest of the group. The design of this group also happens to be closest to the Isfahan carpets with silk warps such as that sold in these Rooms 16 April 2007, lot 100, but with the design here rendered in a finesse that makes commercial production on a larger scale much more feasible. The present carpet is a good example of the type of Isfahan carpet that began arriving in Europe in the early 17th century and which made carpets of this type so fashionable.
Jessica Hallet's article gives us a clearer understanding of the development of Isfahan carpet design over the 17th century (Jessica Hallett, 'From the Looms of Yazd and Isfahan', in Carpets and Textiles in the Iranian World, 1400-1700, Oxford and Genoa, 2010, pp.90-123). She bases her conclusions principally on Portuguese inventory records, which are supported by paintings. She suggests that the carpets without any saz leaves in the design, such as this one, are the earliest of the group. The design of this group also happens to be closest to the Isfahan carpets with silk warps such as that sold in these Rooms 16 April 2007, lot 100, but with the design here rendered in a finesse that makes commercial production on a larger scale much more feasible. The present carpet is a good example of the type of Isfahan carpet that began arriving in Europe in the early 17th century and which made carpets of this type so fashionable.