Description

This antique Persian Shekarlou carpet dates to the middle of the 19th century.

Shekarlou carpets are difficult to identify, and there is no definitive consensus among carpet scholars. The Shekarlou mingled with the Luri when they moved to the area south of Isfahan, sometimes adopting a more settled way of life, sometimes still practising a form of nomadism. The design repertoire and technical features reflect this mingling.

The carpet in hand has a border design typical of Shekarlou carpets. However, other characteristics point to a different provenance, notably the fact that it is woven in a symmetrical, or Turkish, knot and over three red wefts. This and the deep pile of about ten millimetres are an indication that this carpet might be attributed to the Luri tribe. The design of stripes filled with a meander of florals and triangles in alternating order, too, is atypical and more in keeping with a Qashqai rug. (For another southwest Persian rug with a vertical stripe pattern on this website, see https://www.christopherleggeorientalcarpets.com/products/view/19th-century-southwest-persian-long-rug/ ).

Whatever its precise origin, there is no doubting its beauty.

The rug is woven in wool on a wool foundation. The guard stripes are missing, but the carpet is in deep pile.