Antique Shahsavan Mafrash Panel in Soumak Technique, circa 1880

An antique South Eastern Anatolian Antep rug. This is a outstanding example of this scarce design which has many similarities to that found in Caucasian Karachov Kazak rugs...

A good old example of the very popular Bakhtiari 'garden design' Each of the lozenge shaped compartments contains a stylized tree or shrub, many of the trees have small birds in them...

Antique Kurdish rug from the Greater Hamadan region, probably Mehraban district. The design is most unusual, with the central medallion containing a tree like design. The camel co...

Antique Shahsavan or south Caucasian soumak mafrash panel, with traditional design Circa 1890 A good mafrash panel in soumak technique The colours are superb and all natural The panel is probably from the end of a large storage bag The mafrash panel is in original condition with very slight even wear and no repairs The is an old dealers label to the reverse from the renowned Austrian dealer...

Antique Kurdish style rug in chocolate brown shade with repeating pattern. This rug is in original good condition. Measures: 3.10' x 5.9' (120cm x 179cm).

Acquired from a Swedish collector Ferahan Sarouk carpets produced around the wider Arak (city) area from about 1850-1900 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 new approaches and creativity, one source of their excellence. 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 employed universally. 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 and creative drawing and delicate, sometimes “intense “detail. The finest pieces also display 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 experiment, 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 20-30 antique Ferahan Sarouks...

Antique Qashgai rug, circa 1880. The Qashqai are a tribal confederation in Iran. They come from different ethnic backgrounds including Turkoman, Lurs and Kurds. Their rugs often have...

Antique Persian Afshar Rug, c. 1900 Additional Information: Dimensions: 4'6" W x 6'6" L Origin: Persia Period: c. 1900 Rug ID: 19458