IRAN, LATE 16TH OR EARLY 17TH CENTURY

Details

AN EXTREMELY LARGE SAFAVID VELVET PANEL
IRAN, LATE 16TH OR EARLY 17TH CENTURY
Comprising a full loom width decorated with a repeated pattern of a cypress tree growing between two floral stems, flanked by a bird to each side, traces of metal-thread, mounted, framed and glazed
61 3/8 x 27 ½in. (155.9 x 69.9cm.)

Provenance

Giorgio Sangiorgi (d.1960),
Acquired by the present owner from Spink & Son, 1985

Literature

Spink & Son Ltd, Textiles from the Sangiorgi Collection, exhibition catalogue, London, 1985, no. 20 (illustrated).

Exhibited

Donald King, Textiles from the Sangiorgi Collection, Spink & Son, London, 17 September - 5 October 1985

Further details

Some countries prohibit or restrict the purchase and/or import of Iranian-origin property. Bidders must familiarise themselves with any laws or shipping restrictions that apply to them before bidding on these lots. For example, the USA prohibits dealings in and import of Iranian-origin “works of conventional craftsmanship” (such as carpets, textiles, decorative objects, and scientific instruments) without an appropriate licence. Christie’s has a general OFAC licence which, subject to compliance with certain conditions, would enable a buyer to import this type of lot into the USA. If you intend to use Christie’s licence, please contact us for further information before you bid.

Conditions of sale

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Lot Essay

This velvet comes from the Collection of Giorgio Sangiorgi (d. 1960), a collector and antiquities dealer with a gallery in the Palazzo Borghese, Rome. The gallery was founded by Giorgio's father Giuseppe Sangiorgi (d.1928). The Sangiorgis counted many museums and prominent collectors amongst their clientele. Ancient glass was the main focus of the Sangiorgi collection and was published by Giorgio in 1914 (Collezione de Vetri Antichi dalle Origini al V Sec, D.C, ordinati e descriti da Giorgio Sangiorgi con prefazione di W. Froehner, Milan and Rome, 1914). Also important was the Sangiorgi textile collection, part of which was exhibited at the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome in 1911 (Antonio Munoz, La Mostra D'Arte Retrospettiva a Castel Sant'Angelo e la Collezione di stoffe di Giorgio Sangiorgi, Rome, 1911). Following Giorgio's death the gallery closed and most pieces were acquired by museums and collectors or sold at auction. A large collection of important engraved ancient gems from the Sangiorgi Collection was sold in Christie's New York, 29 April 2019.

Under Shah 'Abbas I (r. 1588-1629) silk textile production in Iran flourished, reaching a pinnacle in the mid-17th century. Luxurious silks and velvets were produced in workshops in Yazd, Kashan and Isfahan. Velvets were manufactured either with continuous pile or, as with the present lot, woven selectively with areas of pile and "voided" areas of flat weave which were opulently filled with metal-threads.

The repeating cypress tree design of the present velvet is typical of the naturalism favoured by silk designers in 17th century Safavid Iran. A velvet of very similar design in the Oruzheinaya Palace, Moscow, has been attributed to Yazd (Arthur Upham Pope and Phyllis Ackerman (eds.), A Survey of Persian Art from Prehistoric Times to the Present, vol.6, London & New York, 1938-1939, pl. 1057).

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