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Antique Sultanabad, Persia, late nineteenth centuryIn contrast to many of the greatest Sultanabads, whose emphasis is on the monumental effect of large sweeping forms, this extraordinary example relies on exquisite detail and finesse of drawing. The mina khani, a fine trellis of richly colored palmettes and small flowers, sprawls across the deep blue field, pulsating with alternating rhythms in contrasting reds, blues, greens, yellows, and ivories. The grand yet lacelike effect of the field picks up again in the red-ground border, set off not only by its color, but also by thin, finely detailed guard borders.
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