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Antique Bakhtiari, Persia, late nineteenth century
Though tribal weavers, the Bakhtiari are famed for their ability to create carpets in a classical urban style as well. This magnificent antique Bakhtiari is inspired by the great Safavid court carpets of seventeenth-century Persia. At the center a grand rosette medallion reminiscent of a cathedral rose window radiates outward against a soft apricot field filled with sinuous spiral arabesque vines. Arabesque cornerpieces on a soft blue ground frame the medallion and vines, while the arabesque vinescroll border on darker blue echoes the coloration of the medallion. Despite the lace-like delicacy of the classical design, the spontaneous tribal drawing of the Bakhtiari weavers still shows through.
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