Antique Kurdish Persian Carpet, nineteenth century
This highly unusual antique Kurdish Wagireh or sampler is a minor masterpiece of Northwest Persian weaving. Such samplers were made as an assemblage of all the pattern elements one would need to design and weave a carpet. But often the elements were grouped on the sampler in a manner that did not function as an independent design. This one, however, is arranged symmetrically so that it also works as a rug in its own right. The main border pattern bisects the whole carpet with another minor border creating a compartment effect like a garden carpet. Additional small borders at the top also produce this effect. The remaining areas of the sandy gold field contain a lovely trellis and rosette or Mina Khani design that could be extended to produce a large allover pattern. The drawing is quite animated, and the colors are rich and saturated. This is what great Kurdish rugs are all about. |
