Description

This small Persian Bakhtiari garden carpet dates to the early twentieth century. It was made in the Chahar Mahal area of west Ian.

Its all over design of flowers and trees puts it in the tradition of the garden carpets  which were, and still are, very popular in this arid part of Iran. In the case of this carpet, the plant patterns are quite angular and  arranged in a geometrical pattern: the four pairs of cypress trees and accompanying pairs of half weeping willow trees flank a central vertical line. This line is, in effect, a highly stylized tree with two counterparts at either side of the field. The symmetry of the design, including the regularity in the distribution of the flowers in the shape of diamonds, adds to the impression of a geometric design whilst at the same time depicting florals. This is a different take on a garden carpet to the large carpet from the same province posted on this website, see https://www.christopherleggeorientalcarpets.com/products/view/antique-persian-bakhtiari-carpet-2/  . (For further reading on this area of carpet production, see Willborg, Peter, Chahar Mahal Va Bakhtiari. Village, Workshop and Nomadic Rugs of Western Persia. Stockholm, J.B. Willborg AB, 2002.)

The richness in the colours, all derived from natural dye stuffs, contrasts pleasingly with the dark blue of the ground colour.

Surrounding the field is a sequence of borders, with the main border on a saturated red ground with meandering leaves and flower heads.

The carpet is woven in fine wool on a cotton foundation and is in excellent condition.

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