CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1880

Details

A SILK KASHAN 'MOHTASHAM' RUG
CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1880
Full silk pile, light localised corrosion in black, original purple silk selvages, ends secured, overall very good condition
8ft.8in. x 6ft.7in. (264cm. x 201cm.)

Provenance

Anon sale, Christie's London, 9 October 2006, lot 125

Special notice

Specifed lots (sold and unsold) marked with a filled square ( ¦ ) not collected from Christie’s, 8 King Street, London SW1Y 6QT by 5.00 pm on the day of the sale will, at our option, be removed to Crown Fine Art (details below). Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent ofsite. If the lot is transferred to Crown Fine Art, it will be available for collection from 12.00 pm on the second business day following the sale. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Crown Fine Art. All collections from Crown Fine Art will be by prebooked appointment only. This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

Sale room notice

Please note this lot has been imported from outside the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on the invoice. Please see Conditions of Sale for further information.

The USA prohibits the purchase by US persons of Iranian-origin “works of conventional craftsmanship” such as carpets, textiles, decorative objects, and scientific instruments. The US sanctions apply to US persons regardless of the location of the transaction or the shipping intentions of the US person. For this reason, Christie’s will not accept bids by US persons on this lot. Non-US persons wishing to import this lot into the USA are advised that they will need to apply for an OFAC licence and that this can take many months to be granted.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Behnaz Atighi Moghaddam Head of Sale

batighi@christies.com +44 20 7389 2509

Lot Essay

The knot count is approximately 7V x 7H per cm. sq.

This beautiful silk Kashan rug is typical of the very best weavings produced in the Mohtasham workshops. The elegant proportions echo classical Persian carpets but the inventive floral sprays within each spandrel and the ornamental border strung with abundant bunches of grapes highlight the ingenuity of later nineteenth century weavers, displaying Qajar design at its very best. Where usually a lighter ground would be framed by a contrasting coloured border, here the weaver has chosen to use the same ivory colour in both, lightening the overall effect of the carpet considerably.

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