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Lot Essay
The term "Mohtasham" has become synonymous with the finest carpets made in Kashan in the late 19th century. Hajji Mollah Mohammed Hassan Mohtasham is regarded as one of a very small number of master weavers who successfully re-established Kashan as an important weaving centre in Persia at the end of the 19th century. As displayed in the present lot, the carpets produced in his atelier were masterfully woven using the finest materials in both soft hand-spun kurk wool and lustrous silk with the additional identifying structural features such as the light blue cotton wefts and purple silk selvages.
The typical "Mohtasham" carpet is clearly drawn, with a curvilinear design, but with an execution that is somewhat angular (Adil Besim, Mythos und Mystik, Alte und Antike Textilkunst, vol.3, Vienna, 2000, no.49). The unusual central inverted tear drop medallion with fanned pendants in the present design proved highly sought after when this rug previously sold at Christie's London, 10 April 2008, lot 209. A rug of comparable design sold from the estate of Vojtech Blau, Sotheby's New York, 14 December 2006, lot 100.