CENTRAL PERSIA, SECOND HALF 17TH CENTURY

Details

A SAFAVID ISFAHAN CARPET
CENTRAL PERSIA, SECOND HALF 17TH CENTURY
Uneven areas of wear and faded repiling, selvages rebound
18ft.3in. x 8ft.2in. (556cm. x 249cm.)

Provenance

Dom Afonso Henriques, Prince Royal of Portugal (1865-1920).
Acquired from Vitall Benguiat, New York.
Senator William A. Clark, New York.
'500 Years: Decorative Arts Europe', Christie's New York, 24 November 2009, lot 204

Literature

Illustrated Handbook of The W.A. Clark Collection, Washington, D.C., 1928, p. 73.
'Carpets for the Great Shah', The Corcoran Gallery of Art Bulletin, Vol 2, No. 1, October 1948, p. 20, no. P25.

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. 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

A rarely seen border on Isfahan carpets, each pair of serrated leaves forms a bracket around a lotus palmette. A variation of this border is found on a carpet formerly owned by Vitall Benguiat (The Private Collection of the Messsrs. Vitall and Leopold Benguiat, American Art Association, New York, November 1925, no. 65). The field design centers a lozenge formed by palmettes that creates a pseudo central medallion. The oversized palmettes serve as a reminder of the influence these Isfahan carpets had on Agra weavers during the 19th century.

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