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Lot Essay
The inscription reads; hasb al-farmayish aqa-yi mustafa quli khan ‘amal-i bakhtiyari, “On the order of Aqa Mustafa Quli Khan, [work of the] Bakhtiyari.”
Mustafa Quli Khan was one of four sons of Ja’far Quli Khan (d.1836), and brother to Husayn Quli Khan who was leader of the Duraki tribe and who gradually rose to become the supreme power of all the Bakhtiari. Mustafa Quli Khan was also a close ally of the exalted Navab, Prince Farhad Mirza, who appointed him to help lead his own military force and to subdue and capture insurgents. By the end of the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th, the Bakhtiari were a dominant force in Iran, both economically and militarily. The tribes' pasture lands were rich in oil and through this the tribal leaders, or khans, dramatically increased their wealth and power.
During this period a group of imposing large-scale carpets were woven for individual khans, of which many bore lengthy and often dated inscriptions. The earliest dated carpet as noted by Ian Bennett in his article, "Carpets of the Khans, Part 2", (Hali, 44, April 1989, p.19, pl.25) is from AH 1302/1884-5 AD. The present lot is not dated but was certainly woven for one of the leading Bakhtiari tribesmen whose power declined in the 1930's when, following conflicting involvement from Britain and Russia, their power was relinquished to Reza Shah Pahlavi.
Bennett's article uses specific carpets to illustrate the progression of the Bakhtiari rulers. Unlike other later carpets from this group, this example retains a strong tribal design and does not adopt the urban workshop influence. Of all these examples, the present lot remains considerably the largest in scale and visually one of the most impressive. For a detailed account of the Bakhtiari see Gene R. Garthwaite, "The Bakhtiyâri Khans, The Government of Iran and the British, 1846-1915", International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Volume 3, Cambridge, 1972. pp.24-44.
Mustafa Quli Khan was one of four sons of Ja’far Quli Khan (d.1836), and brother to Husayn Quli Khan who was leader of the Duraki tribe and who gradually rose to become the supreme power of all the Bakhtiari. Mustafa Quli Khan was also a close ally of the exalted Navab, Prince Farhad Mirza, who appointed him to help lead his own military force and to subdue and capture insurgents. By the end of the 19th century and in the beginning of the 20th, the Bakhtiari were a dominant force in Iran, both economically and militarily. The tribes' pasture lands were rich in oil and through this the tribal leaders, or khans, dramatically increased their wealth and power.
During this period a group of imposing large-scale carpets were woven for individual khans, of which many bore lengthy and often dated inscriptions. The earliest dated carpet as noted by Ian Bennett in his article, "Carpets of the Khans, Part 2", (Hali, 44, April 1989, p.19, pl.25) is from AH 1302/1884-5 AD. The present lot is not dated but was certainly woven for one of the leading Bakhtiari tribesmen whose power declined in the 1930's when, following conflicting involvement from Britain and Russia, their power was relinquished to Reza Shah Pahlavi.
Bennett's article uses specific carpets to illustrate the progression of the Bakhtiari rulers. Unlike other later carpets from this group, this example retains a strong tribal design and does not adopt the urban workshop influence. Of all these examples, the present lot remains considerably the largest in scale and visually one of the most impressive. For a detailed account of the Bakhtiari see Gene R. Garthwaite, "The Bakhtiyâri Khans, The Government of Iran and the British, 1846-1915", International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Volume 3, Cambridge, 1972. pp.24-44.