Australia - Persian Rugs

One of the iron carpets of Asia, a Bidjar, is very distinctive for its rich and unusual design and colouration with its pale yellow corner and design composition usually found in muc...

A very fine, soft Qashgai in a tighter weave than is often found. Its 6 intricate borders deserve careful inspection, as a sign of high quality, painstaking handmade production in th...

Kerman, one of the 4 cities in Persia which produced exquisite court carpets is the home of this very fine, and unusual piece – rarely do you find a piece of these dimensions from K...

An especially detailed Bidjar, colourful and intricate. The dynamism of the outer border -and the field – exhibit the high degree of art and craft typical of Bidjar carpets – which a...

From an Australian Collector Ferahan Sarouk carpets produced around the wider Arak (formerly Sultanabad) area from about 1850-1910 earned a deserved re...

Bluch, Camel Wool In soft lambs wool a tightly woven expressive example of mid-century handmade Beluchi tribal weaving , now experiencing a revival , as collectors have mad older pie...

This is an exceptional rug, brand new, and made under special circumstances. Let us tell you briefly the back story. Modern day Azerbaijan with its many mountains and valleys, as in ...

This is an exceptional rug, brand new, and made under special circumstances. Let us tell you briefly the back story. Modern day Azerbaijan with its many mountains and valleys, as in...

This is an exceptional rug, brand new, and made under special circumstances. Let us tell you briefly the back story. Modern day Azerbaijan with its many mountains and valleys, as in...

This is an exceptional rug, brand new, and made under special circumstances. Let us tell you briefly the back story. Modern day Azerbaijan with its many mountains and valleys, as in...

This is an exceptional rug, brand new, and made under special circumstances. Let us tell you briefly the back story. Modern day Azerbaijan with its many mountains and valleys, as in...

This is an exceptional rug, brand new, and made under special circumstances. Let us tell you briefly the back story. Modern day Azerbaijan with its many mountains and valleys, as in...

This is an exceptional rug, brand new, and made under special circumstances. Let us tell you briefly the back story. Modern day Azerbaijan with its many mountains and valleys, as in...

This is an exceptional rug, brand new, and made under special circumstances. Let us tell you briefly the back story. Modern day Azerbaijan with its many mountains and valleys, as in...

This is an exceptional rug, brand new, and made under special circumstances. Let us tell you briefly the back story. Modern day Azerbaijan with its many mountains and valleys, as in...

This is an exceptional rug, brand new, and made under special circumstances . Let us tell you briefly the back story. Modern day Azerbaijan with its many mountains and valleys, as i...

An example of a particularly sparkling, dynamic Yomud woven by a tribal woman circa 1950. The borders – both outer and inner, deserve some careful inspection, excellent condition. Wh...

Woven in Golestan province , far north Iran adjoining Turkmenistan, by a female weaver, circa 1950. Members of the semi-nomadic Yomud tribe have resided here for centuries. This is a...

Baluch and Yamot Lamb’s wool This excellent condition 60-70 year old medium large Beluchi exemplifies the subtlety of presentation and the fine weaving of mid century Belouchi hand ...

This hard to find look and feel in vintage Qashgai weaving combines elegance with the underlying use of traditional tribal symbols and is of a tighter, finer weave—and of a higher wo...

A very hard to find Yazd rug, woven in a village near Yazd the desert city of Iran – a village which by all accounts has ceased weaving , since about 1960. This piece is a superior e...

Another and arguably the most lovely –due to its subtle ‘ dusky” colours – Beluch pieces which amalgamated at mid century various Qashgai and Yomud designs into a cohesive artistic whole , a rare find from our recent purchase...

Pure Bluch Lamb’s wool Another excellent condition mid century Belouchi with its vital variations in pattern language and typical sturdiness from our recent acquisition of a group of...

Baluch and Yamot Lamb’s wool Handsome mid size excellent condition 60-70 year old in traditional Beluchi style .

Pure Bluch Lamb’s wool Striking variations in Beluchi pattern language in this Pure lambs wool piece . The artful use of golds against deep indigo make it exceptional , at a temporar...

This unusual piece was actually handwoven around 1960, a period of exchange and borrowing amongst some tribal groups, by the Beluchis, who utilized or “ borrowed “ some classic Qashg...

Bluch, Qashghaei design Border Yamot design. Another example of the artistic daring of the Beluchi tribe’s amalgamation of Qashgai motifs in the main field, and the use of Yomud ico...

Bluch, Camel Wool This example is in perfect condition , handmade in a format which projects traditional Beluchi patterns . The wool is lustrous .

Pure Bluch Camel and shipwool Saffron mater red color A rich, varied patterened which please see in detail) mid century Baluchi in soft colours .

Malayer pure lamb’s wool. A prime example of quality village/town weaving with tribal undertones from Malayer at mid-20th century. The deep indigo background is rich and compelling, along with the unusual turquoise used...

Balouch, Yamot Pattern Selvedge exceptional black Wool on wool Thick At nearly 10 feet long this thick detailed ( note the borders and details within the field ) can project a powerf...

Pure Yamot Pure lamb’s wool A handmade larger format Yomud, with exceptional borders and striking yellows in perfect condition, tightly woven. Pieces of this calibre of wool quality...

Baluch and Yamot Lamb’s wool This excellent condition 60-70 year old medium large Beluchi exemplifies the subtlety of presentation and the fine weaving of mid century Belouchi hand ...

Pure Yamot Pattern A large format striking Yomud , hand made with unusual yellow borders . This tightly woven example of a quality, handmade, and no longer being created to this stan...

Baluch and Yamot Lamb’s wool This excellent condition 60-70 year old medium large Beluchi exemplifies the subtlety of presentation and the fine weaving of mid century Belouchi hand...

Antique Ardebil 1920 Ardebil 1920 (Vintage) Exciting modernism: 100-year-old Ardebil Measures: 6 feet 8 inches x 4 feet 8 Ardebil was the birthplace of Shah Ismail who consolid...

This remarkable piece is utterly different than those normally produced in Yazd the desert city of Iran . Produced in a village which has by all accounts ceased weaving over the past 50 ore more years, its patterns are Zoroastrian in origin , and very rarely seen . The black colours are produced in undyed goat wool and the lighter shades in Lambs wool , the subtle rose and saffron colours created using rose flower and saffron dyes . The carpet is in very fine condition and tightly woven . Given its rarity and singular , mysterious patterns, this is a vintage collectible and an investment . The patterns themselves and the tight weaving ( viewable from the photo displaying...

This 1940 Isfahan balances beautifully executed soft tone colors with intricate design. Have a look at the “rolling“ corner pieces in light blue backed by d...

Another in our limited collection of superior woven and highly finished tribal pieces from the early 20th century . This example projects the authentic Qashgai symbols of tribal medallions, and flowers along with some artistic touches which belong to the weaver’s own art and imagination : note the two columns on the outer sides of the main field a subtle “art...

For a special and exclusive launch on 1st Dibs, we have assembled some superior mid-20th century (and older) fine Vintage/Semi-Antique pieces. These rugs from distant eastern and nor...

This is one of the most powerful and lovely 20th century Qashgai’w we have had the pleasure of seeing over the years . The five individually articulated centre medallions are the foc...

“ A fine excellent condition mid century Qashgai which combines a traditional tribal look and use of symbols, natural dyes in a particularly resplendent rainbow of colors and detaile...

Isfahans, true, are not for everyone, but those who appreciate the intensity of their particular artform, very fine weave, great durability, and the beautiful feel, love living with ...

Isfahans, true, are not for everyone, but those who appreciate the intensity of their particular artform, very fine weave , great durability, and the beautiful feel, love living with them .This piece made of lamb’s wool exhibits the kind of artistic balance...

Tabriz Prayer Rug circa 1900 4.1 feet x 5.8 Acquired from an Istanbul dealer A strange mystery exists. Why are the vast majority of prayer rug...

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...

From a Boston Collector. Remarkably Creative. This is another of our small stock of Afshar collectibles which astonish as to their artistic form. This example was recently acquired from a Boston collector’s estate. The wool, very soft, is of excellent quality and the weave very fine, the rug in superior condition. Boston Antique carpet expert Michael Grogan declared it as one of the very finest and most original Afshar rugs he had ever seen. This piece was recently used along with two others in a lecture series which pondered the question of likely influence of tribal (and arguably other Persian e,g, Montasham Kashan) rugs on the development of Western 20th century painting. The abrupt break with traditional forms by a gifted female weaver in a remote location and in the throes of a nomadic life, considering her circumstances, is awe inspiring. The wide and in cases unusual colors deployed (note the dark browns probably achieved with walnut shells in the dye vat...

From a prominent East Coast USA Dealer Sultanabad is the former name of Arak, a main center for weaving, and the locale of the famous Ferahan Sarouks, amongst other classic types and styles . In the late 19th century several significant European based companies established there to produce quality rugs and especially larger carpets for the Western market, utilyzing local talent. (Foremost among these was the Zeigler firm, and Zeigler Sultanabads...

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...

Ferahan Sarouk, 1870 :GLORIOUS FLOWERS . From a German collector Ferahan Sarouk carpets produced around the wider Arak (formerly Sultanabad) are...

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...

ARISTOCRATIC Ferahan Sarouk 1890 Measures: 6 ft 8 inches x 4 foot 4 inches Ladies, if you seek a gift for your much loved man, to make him feel like...

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...

This soft and finely woven Esfahan was circa 1980 was found in a warehouse in as new condition . Soft lamb's wool in a light off white shade with several shades of pink and blues . S...

A Persian 'Qum' or 'Ghoum' rug hand-woven in wool and silk, featuring a central star- shaped medallion in vivid hues of red and blue, from which rosettes and flowers radiate outwards...

A luxurious antique Persian rug, in a medallion design woven in vivid tones of red and cream. A central diamond-shaped field contains geometric and stylised designs, while the spandr...

A vibrant Persian rug, hand-woven in pure wool. This wonderfully decorated and very large rug features a midnight blue background embellished all over w...