Antique Persian Tabriz Carpet BB3977 10'8" × 15'8" $60,000

A late 19th century Northwest Tabriz Persian rug, the red field with a lattice of split-leaf tendrils, flowering vinery and palmettes within a blue palmette and 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 antique area rugs and 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.