NORTH INDIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY

Red ground Agra carpets have historically been regarded among the most refined decorative carpets. They were commissioned by British nobility during the colonial period to adorn their castles and palaces. This carpet is distinguished by its rare large dimensions and by its modular pattern characterized by large scale scrolling palmettes connected through a vinery, alternating with majestically drawn cloudbands. This elegant design is known to derive from the Isfahan carpets of the Safavid empire, particularly those woven under the partonage of Shah Abbas in the early 17th century. The 'Shah Abbas' design, as it came to be known, was employed only on Agra carpets of the finest quality, such as this one, where the fineness of weave allowed the weaver to best express the intricate, almost three-dimensional completexities of the pattern.