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Lot Essay
Little is published on these small but often gem-like pieces that were used as portable and durable illustrative material that demonstrated the weaver's capabilities which were not specific to the Bijar region but were used by various weaving centers throughout Iran and some of the Caucasus. In some cases as many as five suggested carpet designs could be incorporated within one single wagireh, which would also show the variety of colours available and the quality of wool in which it would be woven (A.U. Dilley, Oriental Rugs and Carpets, a Comprehensive Study, New York/London, 1931, p.102, pl.XXIII). Few examples seem to make their way to the market as most, according to G. Griffin Lewis in his Practical Book of Oriental Rugs, Philadelphia/London, 1911, p.318, were retained by the weavers and used in their own homes (Kurt Erdmann, Seven Hundred Years of Oriental Carpets, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1970, p.191). The present wagireh is considered larger than most and may well have been used as a cover after it had served its initial purpose.
In this instance, the weaver has demonstrated how the deep indigo field could be woven either with the traditional small Herati-pattern of small serrated leaves or, the Gul Farang or 'European Rose' design that had become fashionable in Russian and European chintzes that had strong Rococo influences with bouquets of flowers and leafy garlands (see also lot 169 in the present sale). In turn this could be enclosed within a number of different minor borders and guard stripes. A small and unusual square format wagireh, displaying a very similar variety of designs to the present lot, was exhibited at the Barbican Center in 1983 (Jon Thompson, Carpet Magic. The art of carpets from the tents, cottages and workshops of Asia, London 1983, p.104).
Whether they went unacknowledged, were considered as utilitarian cast-offs or just mere fragments at the time, today, these small objects are greatly admired by collectors. For other closely related Bijar wagirehs of similar bold design and richness of colour, see Christie's, London, 27 April 2017, lot 216; Christie's New York, 13 December, 2000, lot 162; Sotheby's, New York, 2 December, 2003, lot 74 and Rippon Boswell, 28 May 2005, lot 163.
In this instance, the weaver has demonstrated how the deep indigo field could be woven either with the traditional small Herati-pattern of small serrated leaves or, the Gul Farang or 'European Rose' design that had become fashionable in Russian and European chintzes that had strong Rococo influences with bouquets of flowers and leafy garlands (see also lot 169 in the present sale). In turn this could be enclosed within a number of different minor borders and guard stripes. A small and unusual square format wagireh, displaying a very similar variety of designs to the present lot, was exhibited at the Barbican Center in 1983 (Jon Thompson, Carpet Magic. The art of carpets from the tents, cottages and workshops of Asia, London 1983, p.104).
Whether they went unacknowledged, were considered as utilitarian cast-offs or just mere fragments at the time, today, these small objects are greatly admired by collectors. For other closely related Bijar wagirehs of similar bold design and richness of colour, see Christie's, London, 27 April 2017, lot 216; Christie's New York, 13 December, 2000, lot 162; Sotheby's, New York, 2 December, 2003, lot 74 and Rippon Boswell, 28 May 2005, lot 163.