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Lot Essay
The design of this striking carpet, arranged with palmettes linked with scrolling vine set within a broad split-leaf arabesque border, is clearly inspired by 16th and 17th century Safavid carpets. The structure, with cotton warps and wefts, and one weft shoot between each row of knots, is commonly associated with Senneh workshop weavings. A closely related rug, of a comparable square format, is in the collection of James D. Burns (Antique Rugs of Kurdistan: A Historical Legacy of Woven Art, cat.33). The Burns carpet, also single-wefted but much smaller than our carpet and with silk warps, has a symmetrically arranged Garrus field design but shares the same broad border and leafy meander stripes as the present lot.
This same border design, executed in much the same manner and palette, can be seen on an early 19th century, single-wefted, silk rug, formerly in the collection of George Farrow, sold in these Rooms, 1 May 2025, lot 159. That silk rug is part of a small group, most of which are centered with an ogival medallion, of which another example sold in these Rooms 30 April, 1992, lot 410, and was dated AH 1231 / 1815-16 AD. With these given similarities it is likely that the present carpet was around the same period and possibly in the same workshop.
This same border design, executed in much the same manner and palette, can be seen on an early 19th century, single-wefted, silk rug, formerly in the collection of George Farrow, sold in these Rooms, 1 May 2025, lot 159. That silk rug is part of a small group, most of which are centered with an ogival medallion, of which another example sold in these Rooms 30 April, 1992, lot 410, and was dated AH 1231 / 1815-16 AD. With these given similarities it is likely that the present carpet was around the same period and possibly in the same workshop.