Antique Bakshaish, Persia, late nineteenth centuryMonumental in its scale and impact, a diamond lattice in ivory filled with stylized shrubs unfolds against a rich terracotta ground on this striking antique Bakshaish. But despite the rich tonality and graphics of the field, the glory of this carpet is its border. There a meandering vinescroll sprouting small flowers and large octagonal palmettes provides a perch for heraldic pairs of long-tailed pheasant, all set against a variegated natural camel ground. Rarely does a room-size, decorative carpet project in this way the vitality and creative uniqueness of village rug weaving.
