Isfahan 1850

This beautiful vintage Persian Isfahan room-size rug, from the second quarter of the 20th century, features a classic allover floral design in the traditional Shah Abbas 'Leaf and Sickle' format — a composition of scrolling vines, stylized leaves, and intricate floral elements that reflects centuries of Persian weaving artistry. Set against a soft ivory field of great luminosity, the design presents a harmonious palette of French blue, red, green, soft pink, golden yellow, and brown of considerable sophistication.

The Shah Abbas design takes its name from the great Safavid emperor who transformed Isfahan into the most splendid city in the Islamic world in the 16th century, establishing the royal workshops that defined the classical Persian carpet tradition. A rug in this design is a direct connection to that golden age of Persian weaving — its scrolling vines and palmette flowers the living descendants of the royal court carpets of 400 years ago. Isfahan rugs, woven in the ancient imperial capital of Persia, occupy a singular position at the very pinnacle of Persian carpet weaving. The city of Isfahan — once the most splendid city in the Islamic world under the Safavid emperors of the 16th and 17th centuries — has produced carpets of extraordinary technical refinement and classical beauty for centuries. Isfahan rugs are distinguished by their extraordinarily high knot counts, their luminous palettes, their Shah Abbas floral designs, and a design vocabulary drawn from the deepest wells of the Persian classical tradition. The finest Isfahan rugs — particularly those woven on silk foundations — are among the most technically accomplished textiles ever made.

Dimensions: 9' 11" x 14' 2"

Date of Manufacture: 2nd Quarter of the 1900s

Place of Origin: Persia (Isfahan)

Material: Wool pile on a cotton foundation

Condition: Wear consistent with age and use

SKU: 1850