Antique Esfahan ( Isfahan ) Rug from Persia, seventeenth century - This magnificent classical piece, a type generally attributed to Isfahan under the Safavid Shahs, displays the distinctive pattern of palmettes, tendrils, and cloudbands that would inspire thousands of Persian carpets during the great weaving revival of the nineteenth century. Here it appears in its original form, rendered with incomparably delicate drawing and rich yet soft color. The graceful and calligraphic border of arabesque vinescrolls frames and echoes the gentle rhythms of the sumptuous field.