Rare 17 Century Mughal Period Persian Isfahan Large Room Size Carpet

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About the Item

An antique Mughal period Persian Indo-Isfahan large room size carpet handmade during the 17th century. Measures: 14' 1" x 16' 8" Let’s get this controversy started right now. Where is this and its numerous sisters from? Persians and certain other interested parties say “Isfahan” and there are a few examples with silk warps and finer weaves that probably originate in that central Persian capital under Shah ‘Abbas. But there are still several of these red ground, palmette, vine and cloud band, green or dark blue border pieces ranging from four feet by six scatters up to sixteen by forty-foot giants. Almost all are no longer in usable condition making this rug even more unique. Whoever made them, invented the notion of program, the same pattern available in standard sizes. And they are standard sizes: 4’ x 6’, 5’ x 12’, 6’ x 15’, 7’ x 17’, 8’ x 20’, 10’ x 25’, and so on. Continuity is the same pattern in various colorways. Indo-Isfahan’s are among the first programmed carpets, along with contemporaneous Turkish Oushak. European travelers to Isfahan in the 17th century make no note of these large red carpets which ought to have existed in the bazaar in vast numbers, although they repeatedly mention the rarer silk and metal thread Neo-Baroque “Polonaise” rugs. India, under Persian rule, was a much larger and richer country than Persia and many Indo-Isfahan’s have come out of old Indian collections. The Mughal Empire needed carpets for the many palaces of the regional royal families and the residences of the Mughal nobility, and Emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605) is known to have encouraged local carpet industries. The date is certainly appropriate and although no examples are signed, inscribed, or dated, a generally accepted chronology has been worked out. Ours fits in well with a mid-17th century date. The earlier pieces have bolder palmettes and proportionally larger cloud bands while the later examples show more regular, smaller designs. There seems to be no connection between Indo-Isfahan designs and the Herati pattern. This carpet has all the appropriate bells and whistles of the group: a slightly corroded ruby red lac red field. a well-balanced all-over design featuring sickle leaves, palmettes, and spiraling arabesques, touched in light blue, dark brown, pale green, yellow, straw, off white, and a bright ochre-yellow found on no other group of period carpets. The deep green border shows serrated, cobalt blue, and lac red bitonal leaves embracing round palmettes. The design is very Classic and classy, and has inspired many more modern interpretations. In fact, the design has never gone out of fashion in India with examples from the first half of the 19th century. Persian examples are a whole lot rarer. The warp is an off-white cotton, while the triple wefts are beige cotton. Lac, whether in Khorassan carpets or Indo-Isfahan’s, is corrosive to wool over time and leaves the other colors in relief while exposing areas of the foundation. Indo-Isfahan rugs have a rather dry, short pile of relatively thin yarn and they are certainly not made for traffic areas. But they do have a look with period French furniture, just as antique Turkish Oushaks work well with English or American antiques. Our example is varying low to lower in pile and there has been reweaving at one end. The condition may best be described as good especially given its age. The colors are well preserved and the greens have held up quite well. In other examples, the yellow overdyed will fade out and the green changes to a dark blue. There are increasingly few opportunities to purchase a period carpet with the proper Western proportions.

Dimensions:
Width: 169 in (429.26 cm)Length: 200 in (508 cm)
Style:
Louis XIII (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Cotton,Wool,Hand-Knotted
Place of Origin:
India
Period:
Mid-17th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1650
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
Seller: 265271stDibs: LU882319635132