NORTH INDIA, CIRCA 1890

Under the Mughal maharajas in 17th century India, and most particularly during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658), heightened attention was placed on the naturalistic rendering of the surrounding flora, as seen in the following lot in the present sale. Distinctive designs comprising rows or formal arrangements of naturalistic flowers were woven upon rich ruby-red grounds, accurately displaying recognisable specimens of lily, poppy, carnation, tulip, violet and narcissus. Such designs remained popular with Indian weavers, both in carpets and textiles, for the next few hundred years although greater artistic liberties were taken over time, often making identification problematic.

The decorative design of the present carpet recalls these early Mughal patterns but is now set upon an ivory field and the flowers have been miniaturised and are perhaps less recognisable. Many such Mughal-inspired revival carpets in the 19th century were woven in the jails of Agra and Lahore, which employed similar repetitive floral designs albeit with slight variations in their colour palette (Ian Bennett, Jail Birds, Exhibition Catalogue, London, 1987, pl.26). Coveted by decorators for their palette and elegant design, a relatively small number have appeared at auction over the years, with the most recent selling in these Rooms, 27 April 2017, lot 194.