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Lot Essay
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 workshops to produce exceptional carpets for export, diplomatic gifts and the Persian nobility. Safavid Isfahan red-ground carpets, with their scrolling arabesques terminating in palmettes, typically framed by a deep indigo or green border of corresponding design, are one of the most familiar groups of classical carpets that have survived to the present day.
Although surviving as a fragment, it nevertheless exemplifies the rich and dynamic palette and design employed within the group. The drawing and arrangement of the lotus palmettes surrounded by serrated leaves within the border is closely comparable to two carpets formerly in the Corcoran Collection sold at Christie’s, New York, 24 November 2009, lots 31 and 205. Given that the border is conceived in a similarly large scale, the carpet in its entirety would have made an equally impressive commission. Not only does the fragment reveal the vast array of colours, but also it employs an unusual pomegranate motif within the scrolling vine design within the field.
Although surviving as a fragment, it nevertheless exemplifies the rich and dynamic palette and design employed within the group. The drawing and arrangement of the lotus palmettes surrounded by serrated leaves within the border is closely comparable to two carpets formerly in the Corcoran Collection sold at Christie’s, New York, 24 November 2009, lots 31 and 205. Given that the border is conceived in a similarly large scale, the carpet in its entirety would have made an equally impressive commission. Not only does the fragment reveal the vast array of colours, but also it employs an unusual pomegranate motif within the scrolling vine design within the field.