CENTRAL PERSIA, FIRST HALF 17TH CENTURY

Jessica Hallet's recent article gives us a clearer understanding of the development of Isfahan carpet design over the 17th century (Jessica Hallett, 'From the Looms of Yazd and Isfahan', in Carpets and Textiles in the Iranian World, 1400-1700, Oxford and Genoa 2010, pp.90-123). She bases her conclusions principally on Portuguese inventory records, which are supported by paintings. She argues convincingly that the carpets without any saz leaves in the design, such as this one, are the earliest of the group. The design of this group also happens to be closest to the Isfahan carpets with silk warps such as that sold in these Rooms 16 April 2007, lot 100, but with the design here rendered in a finesse that makes commercial production on a larger scale much more feasible. The present carpet is a good example of the type of Isfahan carpet that began arriving in Europe in the early 17th century and which made carpets of this type so fashionable for much of the century.