SOUTH PERSIA, CIRCA 1900

Produced by the nomadic or semi-nomadic Afshar tribe living primarily in Southwest Persia, Afshar carpets generally display bright colors with overall or medallion design. The Afshar rug offered here employs an overall boteh motif, derived from Kirmani paisley shawls, and is distinguished by its sophisticated, subtle palette of deep blue and mustard yellow. Perhaps even more notable, however, is its construction. Woven with silk wefts, this rug maintains an extraordinarily fine quality, more typical of Kirman carpets. In fact, a large contingent of the Afshar tribe settled in the Kirman area thus bringing influences from Kirman carpet production into the Afshar tradition.