19th Century Persian Tabriz Red Hand Knotted Wool Carpet BB7204 10'8" × 18'2" $50,000

A decorative late 19th century Persian Tabriz carpet, the rich red field with whimsical swirling flowering vinery, exotic birds and cloud bands around a central roundel ringed by medallions and palmettes within a delicate pale celadon flowering vinery border.

Tabriz, the capital of the northwestern Iranian province of Azerbaijan, has for centuries enjoyed a great reputation as a center of Persian culture. Under the benign patronage of Shah Abbas the Great (1587-1629), artists and artisans designed illuminated manuscripts, embroidered silks, painted miniatures and fabricated metal work in the Safavid style. It was in this fertile, creative atmosphere that the weavers of Antique Persian rugs for the Court were inspired to reach for new artistic heights and created exceptional oriental rugs and antique carpets. The art of carpet-weaving was handed down from generation to generation and considered a family treasure, allowing artists to ply a respected trade.