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Lot Essay
The Polonaise group consists of some of the most luxurious carpets ever made. The use of silk and metal threads in their weaving reflects the magnificence of Shah Abbas' court, under whose patronage the arts flourished, particularly weaving-- Shah Abbas himself was reputedly a weaver. Polonaise carpets are distinctive for incorporating traditional Islamic designs with European influences: simplified and enlarged floral vinery and arabesques and palmettes harmonized in a soft ethereal palette. They are also some of the rarest carpets from the classical period, with fewer than three hundred known examples, most of them in museum collections.
The field of this rug is drawn with a precision that indicates it is from the earliest phase of manufacture of Polonaise rugs at the beginning of the seventeenth century. The design of the border in the present rug is very similar to that found on a Polonaise rug that was formerly in the Aita Collection, sold at Christie's London, 18 October 2001, lot 229. Interestingly, both rugs have intermittent use of deep crimson wefts.
The field of this rug is drawn with a precision that indicates it is from the earliest phase of manufacture of Polonaise rugs at the beginning of the seventeenth century. The design of the border in the present rug is very similar to that found on a Polonaise rug that was formerly in the Aita Collection, sold at Christie's London, 18 October 2001, lot 229. Interestingly, both rugs have intermittent use of deep crimson wefts.