SOUTH EAST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

The drawing of the seated Sufi within the verdant landscape is closely related to a pictorial Kirman carpet of similar size, signed by the master weaver Muhammed ibn Ja'far, that sold in these Rooms, 21 October, 1993, lot 587. Muhammed, who is thought to have been the father of the celebrated weaver Abul Qasim Kirman, is noted for weaving intricate, often pictorial designs, of particular finesse. There are few notable bridges in the city of Kirman and so the single story arched bridge that spans the bottom of the carpet could possibly one of the ancient bridges that span the Zayandeh river that runs through the city of Isfahan, such as the Shahrestan or Marnan.