1880s Persian Rugs

Antique Senneh rug 3.3'' x 5.6''.

Antique Haji Jalili Tabriz rug, measures : 3'11'' x 5'8''.

Antique Farahan Sarouk Rug 4'7'' x 6'10''. This antique west Persian village scatter features an straw-ecru field totally covered with a medium-scale Herati design. The coral border ...

Antique Serapi rug, measures : 8'5'' x 12'.

Antique Mohtasham Kashan rug 7.6'' x 10.9''. The pinched and pointed cartouche-form subfield is not really an empty beige, but powder blue and very s...

19th Century W. Persian Bijar Carpet with Harshang Pattern 16'2" x 27'4" x 493 833

This clearly antique northeast Persian long carpet presents a royal blue ground supporting a rounded version of the popular all-over Mina Khani palmette trellis with contrasting off ...

The eggshell field shows an axially organized all-over pattern of hexagons, ragged rosettes enclosing stars, tilted flower, vinery sections and ragged palmettes, all detailed in powd...

Antique Serapi carpets are one of the most sought after rugs particularly in America and England for many years. Antique Serapi rugs are a major draw particularly in big city America...

A stunning antique Ferahan rug, hand woven circa 1880 with a stylised floral design on a rare ivory field and terracotta border. A bit of wear but ...

Finest Antique Bijar rug Iron Quality Area Rug Rust 4'7" x 7'5" (5' x 8') 140cm x 226cm Circa 1880 "This is a beautiful Rare Antique Bijar rug from 1880's. It is wo...

Antique Rare Bijar Rug Iron Quality Area Rug Handmade 4'1" X 5"5" (4' x 6') 124cmx165cm Circa 1880 "This is a magnificent rare high quality piece. It has a wool foundation that...

19th Century N.W. Persian "Bakshaiesh" Carpet ( 7'4" x 8' - 224 x 244 )

Antique Persian Bijar Iron Quality ©Shabby Chic Pile Rust Brown 3'7" x 6'7" Circa 1880 "This is a beautiful Antique Bijar rug from 1880's. It is wool pile on wool foundation. It has a beautiful bold Geometric Design with a decorative geometric border. Amazing Iron quality that lasts forever!"-Antique Rug Collection...

19th Century Persian Senneh Rug ( 2' x 2'10" - 62 x 86 )

Rare Antique Mahal rug Sultanabad Zigler rug blue 4'5" x 6'6" 5' x 7' 135cmx198cm Circa 1880 "This is a truly magnificent rare antique Mahal Sultanabad rug. It has an overall...

This large, Kurdish urban scatter from the Bidjar-origin town of Garrus shows an offset, partial rendering of the eponymous design of red and cream forked, geometric arabesques, ragg...

19th Century N.W. Persian Bakshaiesh Carpet ( 5'9" x 12'6" - 175 x 380 )

The abrashed light/medium blue field creeps along the sides and widens into elaborate corners displaying leaves, stalks and escutcheon corner palmettes. Tomato red field with layered...

19th Century S.E. Persian Kerman Laver Carpet ( 17' x 19'10" - 518 x 605 )

Iran Lavar Kerman wool on Cotton measures: 12'2'' x 19'11''.

Antique Mohtasham Kashan rug circa 1880 measures: 4'6'' x 6'6''.

Antique Persian Serab rug, size: 3'4" x 14'6".

Antique Mohtasham Kashan rug measures 4'2'' x 6'9''.

Rare Antique Manchester Kashan rug Persian Fine Kork Wool 4'3" x 6'9" 130cm x 206cm Circa 1880 "This is a one of a kind pre 1900's Manc...

Ferahan Sarouk Museum Quality MUSEUM QUALITY Ferahan Sarouk, third quarter 19th century 6.6 x 4.5 feet From a USA collector Ferahan Sarouk carpets produced around the wider Arak (formerly Sultanabad) area from about 1850-1910 earned a deserved reputation as amongst the most desirable and imaginative finely woven carpets in Persia. As these things go, they morphed in style around 1910- 1920 into the differently woven Mahajirhan Sarouk fashion (quality examples of which are also in demand) and then disappeared entirely. Their desirability rests not only on fine weaving, and excellent wool. Many of the better examples were commissioned by aristocrats or wealthy merchants who encouraged creativity, in an actively competitive way; rugs during this period, as before, were direct illustrations of an individual’s wealth, power and prestige. Beyond this lay a more fundamental and seemingly contradictory set of motivations by the weavers. At one and the same time they sought to emulate the great court carpets in finesse and design. And yet-- they applied rustic or village, and even tribal elements and nuances to their designs. The result was a cavalcade of creativity. So, a village-based genre came into being which produced primarily an approx. 6x4 rug size format, and also provided, if more rarely, larger formats, which command increasingly high prices, due to their rarity, visual excitement and grandeur. The artistic achievement of this “school” had to do with marrying elegance and a degree of formalism with whimsy, and design innovation. They offer a charm and a certain magic beyond that of court and most city carpets. As in any area or era, there is a quality spectrum ranging from mediocre to highly superior. Superiority is judged of course as to weave and wool quality. It is rather unusual, though, to encounter pieces made before 1890 -which are bona fide Ferahan Sarouks- with poor wool or weaving: standards were upheld during this period, and natural dyes were widely employed, particularly in the wider Arak (then Sultanabad) region. Thus, as an investment collectible to adorn the home we believe the ultimate criterion is aesthetics, this being an art form, after all. Ferahan Sarouks have been a special area of interest for us over the decades both from artistic and investment perspectives. Allowing for personal taste, our suggestions are few and simple. A Ferahan Sarouk ought to display a wide colour palette, fine drawing and delicate, sometimes “intense “ detail. The finest pieces also display an elevated sense of balance in the use of space. We have seen many finely woven pieces which in our view are garish and lack one of the two key artistic elements intrinsic to the better examples of this genre – elegance. Sometimes they are overly cluttered; the drawing artistry is muddled or lost. In other cases odd and ineffective design devices are used, detracting from or interfering with an otherwise good design. The era of the Ferahan Sarouk was rife with experiments, not all of them successful. The other important attribute, when it can be found, is original artistic creativity, even serendipity, -- or effective design innovation within the compass of this rug type and the unique standards of its prime period. On average, we examine between 30-40 antique Ferahan Sarouks to achieve one acquisition, for the benefit of our clients. This highly collectible more than 150-year-old carpet is an apex achievement of superior artistry and innovation. As an exemplar of its genre, it can be reasonably described as Museum quality, a term we do not often employ. Please observe the stunning precision of the inner guard and its pinpoint sharp hooks. The elongation of the central medallion is one of its subtle but powerful innovations in form. The nod to asymmetry – which displays a refined sense of humour - is seen in the use of the small diamond figures, as one is deliberately missing from the right hand side: a wry nod to asymmetry, in an otherwise perfectly symmetrical creation. The ultimate achievement here is in the fineness of the weaving itself, on close inspection. The herati pattern in the medallion and corners achieves an etched-on quality, a very uncommon level of attention to detail and perfectionism: clearly the work of a master. This artistic sense extends to the outer ground which is a superb example of the most subtle abrash, one of the most refined we have had the honor of viewing. The unusual beige/brown tones in the field were probably achieved by adding onion skins to the die vat. These extremely fine gradations of colour are rarely seen.(NB the colour photographs create a slightly misleading- overly yellow burnish to the field colour in spite of expert photographic efforts ) . The deliberate choice of an ink black use of indigo provides a powerful frame (border) for this piece of art, which note in the lower right-hand corner is lifted slightly through abrash to a deep blue – to highlight the design and use of emerald green in the rosettes. The green shades lighten as the border ascends harmonizing with the tones in the central medallion. The floating flow of flowers in the border is beautifully executed, with up to seven colours in a single figure. No doubt a piece commissioned by an aristocrat around 1870, it is – remarkably- in virtually perfect condition. It appears to have had very minimal footwear, and great care; a piece which was proudly displayed from time to time and appreciated. Its density and strong foundation would however allow regular use within a home, and in a spacious contemporary home or office could make a wall hanging of striking impact. This remarkable one of a kind piece is on short term reduction to coincide with our launch on 1st Dibs . Fair market value is approximately $22,000 . Fine art as investment ? The WSJ made the following comments this year : The vigor of the art market may seem counterintuitive, but it makes sense in the current environment,” economist Tyler Cowen recently wrote in The Washington Post. “First, many of the wealthy have been buying additional homes and wish to furnish them with art. Second, the recent run-up in inflation rates around the world has intensified the search for hedges.” While the aforementioned artworks fall into traditional categories, some less-prominent forms of fine art also represent ideal investment opportunities, especially because they offer more attractive—i.e., significantly less costly—entry points for new collectors. Take high-collectible and connoisseur-caliber antique Oriental rugs, for example. The best 19th-century examples often sell privately between five figures and low six figures. Today, that obscurity is fading. According to Ben Evans, the editor of Hali Magazine—a publication dedicated to the international rug and textile market—there are two primary factors to explain why antique rugs are beginning to enjoy their moment in the spotlight. “Cultural curiosity and collecting...

Altough somewhat wear-compromised, this is still a noble and authentic village piece with an abrashed light blue field developing stepped corners decorated by flowering plants. The p...

Antique Lavar Kerman Rug 9'11'' x 15'10''.

The abrashed straw-beige field ten light chandelier suspended above a densely fruiting and flowering plant in a vase, , with pomegranates, carnation, lantern fruit, and peaches Striped, fluted and banded lateral columns. monkeys add to the general playfulness. Rounded interior arch above. Ceam main border with rosettes and palmettes. Idiosyncratic scatter with designs taken from everywhere and artfully combined. Fine urban SE Persian weave...

Antique Kashan - Mohtasham rug, size: 11'4" x 17'6".

Although in only fair condition with wear abrash, this central Persian, finely woven, town scatter still possesses real character. The rust red field with an allover flower pattern s...

Antique Persian silk Heriz rug measures: 4'6'' x 6'4''.

This C. 1880 Heriz carpet shows an amusingly downset rust subfield, on an abrashed light to medium blue field, enlarging to Herati and animal corners. Giant Herati nodule fills the centre of the stepped salmon medallion. Six rectangular light blue and cream pendants...

Most Kashans are in medallion and corners format. Most Kashans are in standard sizes, like 9" by 12", etc. This is not the usual Kashan. The sandy straw field displays a diminutive A...

Antique Turkoman Ersari Main rug Fine Afghan Boho Rug 8' x 11' 236cmx335cm Circa 1880 "Magnificent antique large Ersari Rug with an int...

Late 19th Century Persian Tabriz Haji Jalili Rug ( 1'9" x 2'3" - 54 x 68 )

Antique Mohtasham Kashan rug measures: 7.8'' x 9.2''.

Antique Bakhshayesh rug 2'4'' x 4'4''.

Nine offset rows of cypress trees are separated by leaves and flowers on the deep navy indigo ground of this … Paired botehs alternate with petaled fan flowers on the yellow-green cy...

19th century Persian Baluch carpet ( 3'2" x 5'6" - 97 x 167 cm ).

The rust field of this rustic Central Asian piece shows a seven by thirteen arrangement of repeating stylized flowers and guls accented in straw and black. The darker detailed guls a...

Rare Afshar Bidjar 1880 BIDJAR (AFSHAR BIDJAR RARE VARIANT) 1880 or earlier 6 x 4 feet Acquired from an Australian collector Bidjar carpets are known as the iron carpet...

Antique Bakhshayesh measures 11'4'' x 17'2''.

Antique Lavar Kerman rug 10'3'' x 13'5''.

Featured as an exemplar of Afshar tribal creativity in James Opie's notable book " Tribal Rugs " this extremely rare collector's piece was used in a lecture series we conducted on the possible albeit unexamined influence of tribal rugs on early 20th century European painting . The Afshars during the 19th century were amongst the dominant five nomadic groups in Iran and unquestionably the most daringly creative, and probably the most prolific in weaving output . Though the vast majority of their carpets exhibit traditional , more angular tribal patterns, this example is an extraordinary tribute to one female weaver as designer . There seems no precedent for the remarkable move into mind bending forms which veer off from the norm , which make it a high collectible and unquestionable investment piece . The achievement of two elements stand out : colour and design execution . The rich and varied natural dye colours are deep and powerful and include a range from the treasured eggplant , through a provocative orange , yellows ( saffron), pale peach, to three unusual blues and a rare rust brown . Green is also sensitively applied to the palette . The design also represents a departure from all norms before or since amongst Afshar rugs . The central medallions have been altered to create an almost moving, slightly hallucinatory effect ; the graceful tumbling of coloured leaves or vines is singular in its presentation, graceful yet very much alive . Most interesting are the designs within the medallion which seem to be an evocation of the ancient Chinese dragon and phoenix symbols . This theory gains a bit more traction when you look at the upright shrine type figure rising up alongside the medallions - these appear Chinese , as well, in a semi- abstract way-- influences such as these had been travelling across thewide continent of Asia for millenia . The borders are classic traditional Afshar , noted for their lovely re-creation of flower symbols , interlinking , and slightly irregular , showing the artistic seredipity of the artist/ weaver . The colours here too, particularly the blues and yellows are nothing short of spectacular . The amount of detailled hand work suggests that this piece would have required at least two years work on a ground loom- a humbling thought in thinking about the nomadic life in the 19th century. This rug is of a size and of such a beauty that in the right open modern decor, it could well occupy a wall space of distinction, as would a modern art canvas...

In fairly good condition, this velvety pile, short-clipped arcade pattern carpet shows two candy-cane striped pillars with fluted capitals upholding rounded arches with navy palmette...

This antique 9x17 Persian rug is a rare curation of intriguing provenance. Hand-knotted in wool, it’s believed to originate circa 1880-1890. Further On the Design: This antique pie...

This “Bakshayesh” period/quality NW Persian rare format long carpet shows a delightfully abrashed madder field with developed end spandrels featuring feathery trees, flowers and wonk...

19th Century Persian Haji Jalili Tabriz Carpet ( 4'8" x 6' - 143 x 183 )

Late 119th Century Persian ( Arab ) Baluch Carpet ( 2'10" x 5'2" - 86 x 157 )

This finely woven SE Persian city carpet shows a shaped and indented ecxru-beige semi-open field centred by an octogramme filigree medallion with eight floral pendants and a 16 point...

Kerman Rug 2'6'' x 7'0''.

Bakhshaish Rug 10'4'' x 14'11''.

Bakhshaish rug, measures: 3'4'' x 14'0''.

19th Century Persian Bijar Carpet ( 6'9" x 13'6" - 206 x 412 )

An outstanding late 19th century Persian Serapi rug with the most beautiful central medallion with a stylized floral and leaf pattern woven in wonderful and brilliant crimsons, light...

19th Century NW Persian Bakshaiesh Carpet ( 12' x 18'8"- 366 x 570 )

Rare Antique Shirazz Rug Tribal Afshaar Ganjeh Design 5' x 7' 160cm X 196cm Circa 1890 "This is a beautiful antique tribal Afsharr Shirazz rug with a beautiful Caucasia...