1880s Persian Rugs

A wonderful late 19th century Persian Lavar Kirman prayer rug with an exceptional pattern of multiple flowering cyprus trees-of-life amidst a field o...

An incredible 19th century Persian Sarouk Farahan rug with a gorgeous deep indigo medallions woven with intertwining vines and flowers, all on a rich crimson background amidst a fiel...

Antique Persian Sultanabad Rug in Ivory Background, Blue, Salmon & Multi Colors. This antique Sultanabad rug features a large-scale design comprised of palmettes and stylized flowers...

An extraordinary late 19th century Persian Serab rug with an all-over multicolored stylized floral and vine pattern on a crimson background. The flowers are stunning in their, at tim...

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...

An unbelievable late 19th century Persian Sumak rug with three large indigo medallions, densely woven with stylized geometric and floral motifs, amidst a field of stylized flowers on...

19th century Antique Feraghan Gallery Persian Rug With All-Over Paisley Geometric Design. Keivan Woven Arts / rug 19-0503, country of origin / type: Iran / Feraghan, circa 1890 Measures: 7'4 x 17'0 Set on Steel blue background and light tangerine border, this outstanding large gallery rug...

A late 19th century Persian Azeri runner with nine unique and wonderfully detailed multi-colored octagonal medallions with geometric designs in natural ve...

A late 19th century Persian Tabriz rug with a central medallion on a crimson background, surrounded by a complementary beautifully woven floral border.

An unbelievable late 19th century Persian Khorasan Dorokhst rug with a four part mirrored pattern containing a central diamond medallion with a floral and leaf motif, on a pale cranb...

An unbelievable late 19th century monumental Persian Serab rug with an incredible field containing multiple diamond-form and floral and indigo medallions floating on a cream colored ...

An amazing late 19th century Persian Afshar runner with a central field containing and all-over multi-colored paisley pattern woven in crimson, green, pi...

This traditional Khotan rug has a shaded blue field scattered with floral sprays and hooked lozenges together with floral vases and other auspicious motifs around a column of three b...

:: Super fine Persian Afshar in excellent color with calming shades of blue, rather hard to find. Although the knot density is rather tight, the wool itself is extremely soft and liv...

An amazing late 19th century Persian Tabriz rug with an intensely woven multicolored floral pattern in crimson, indigo, turquoise and natural undyed wool with a large central diamond...

A wonderful late 19th century Persian Kurdish runner woven with wonderful natural vegetable dyed maize, crimson, and indigo dyes in an all-over tree-of-life diamond pattern surrounde...

Sultanabad is a region in NW Persia. It was the site of the principle Ziegler weavings in the late 19th century. Sultanabad's are famous for their floral designs as they improved the...

Spectacular large antique Persian Bakshaish Serapi rug with beautiful colors and large geometric Medallion. Keivan Woven Arts/ Rug / M14-0201. Large Serapi...

Antique Persian runner rug handwoven from the finest sheep’s wool and colored with all-natural vegetable dyes that are safe for humans and pets. It’s a traditional Bijar design featu...

This Persian Qashqai Neriz carpet, circa 1880, consists of a pure handspun wool warp, weft and hand knotted pile and organic vegetable dyes. The Classic Qashqai geometric style with ...

19th century Tribal antique Persian Bakshaiesh rug in red and blue. Keivan Woven Arts / rug 17-0402, country of origin / type: Iran / Bakshaiesh, circa 1880. Antique Persian Bakhshai...

This antique Persian Bakhtiari carpet in pure handspun wool circa 1880 utilizes a hand knotted Bakhtiari weave and organic vegetable dyes. Originating from the village of Chaal-e Sho...

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

Antique Persian Sultanabad rug with vining floral pattern in ivory background along with red, orange, gray blue and charcoal. Keivan Woven Arts / rug NA-170090, country of origin / ...

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

Antique Persian Finely Woven Mishan Malayer Rug rug/J10-0101, country of origin / type: Iran / Mishan Malayer, circa 1880 This amazing, antique Mishan ...

Antique Silk Heriz Rug 4'6'' x 6'4''.

Fine 19th century antique Serapi carpet of Persia. Woven in the rugged mountains of Northwest Persia, Serapi rugs are a distinct Heriz region style, with finer knotting and more large-scale spaciously placed antique carpet designs...

The archetypal motifs in this piece are accompanied by a tower of stacked polygons with small tribal design. Each decorative foil is embellished with eight-armed brackets and tiny lo...

Great condition rare size. Square Ziegler ivory mahal. 8.9x9

Vintage Persian Farahan with a Botanical Design in Abrash Pale Blue/Green, Navy Blue, and Red. One of the most beautiful Persian Farahan area rugs in our collection. Astonishingly be...

This Persian Qashqai carpet, circa 1880 consists of a pure handspun wool warp, weft and hand knotted pile and organic vegetable dyes. It demonstrates the Classic playful geometric st...

This antique Seraband Persian carpet in handspun camel wool is hand knotted in a Persian Seraband weave and uses organic vegetal dyes, circa 1880. Characterized by its unique colorat...

Antique Persian Serapi Rug from 19th century, Keivan Woven Arts / rug /TRA-0781, country of origin / type: Iran / Serapi , circa 1890. Measures: 9' x 11'5 With an adaptation of anc...

19th Century Persian Tabriz Haji Jalili Carpet ( 7'8" x 14'3" - 234 x 434 )

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

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 Mohtasham Kashan Rug 3'11'' x 6'7''. This antique "Mohtasham" scatter shows chunky, angular drawing of the notched, hexagon medallion with en...

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...

19th Century N.E. Persian Khorassan Moud Carpet ( 9'9" x 12'2" - 297 x 370 )

19th Century Persian Serab Runner Carpet ( 3'2" x 15'6" - 97 x 472 )

Bidjars are known as the "iron "carpets of Asia, owing to the hammering of knots whilst weaving, which creates an unusual density to the carpet, and exceptional , multi generational...

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

Made with hand-knotted wool circa 1880-1900, this 3x6 antique Persian rug of Sarouk Farahan provenance is a rare and gorgeous collectible of its weaving tradition—an exciting new cla...

Feraghans were made between the 1870s and 1913 from a region north of the town of Arak, produced for the Persian aristocracy. They are single wefted, long and narrow or room-sized ca...

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

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

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

19th Century Persian Ziegler Sultanabad Carpet ( 7' x 14' - 213 X 427 )

19th Century Persian Haji Jalili Tabriz Carpet ( 9'4'' x 12' - 285 x 366 )

19th Century N.W. Persian Bakshaiesh Runner Carpet 3'4'' x 11'8'' - 102 x 356

Antique Mohtasham Kashan rug 4'4'' x 6'7''. From the 1880s period of the Great Persian Carpet Revival, this urban, fine weave, central Iranian sca...

Antique Mohtasham Kashan Rug 4'6'' x 6'6''.

19th Century Persian Sarouk Farahan Carpet ( 8' 8" x 11' 8" - 265 x 355 cm )

Late 19th Century Persian Lavar Kirman Carpet ( 9'10" x 17'4" - 300 x 530 )

Antique Persian Bijar rug. Size: 4'4" x 8'4".

Late 19th Century N.W. Persian Serab Runner Carpet ( 3'3" x 10'4" - 99 x 315 )

Antique Kashan rug. Measures: 6.11'' x 10.2''.