This magnificent late 19th century Persian Serab camelhair rug is a piece that true connoisseurs of fine weaving seek above almost all others — an exemplar of the Serab tradition at its most accomplished. The extraordinarily fine weave, natural camel hair field, all vegetable-dyed accents, and beautiful ageless geometric design combine in a composition of rare harmony and understated elegance. The natural camel hair, undyed and luminous, provides the warm honey-toned foundation that no synthetic color can replicate, and the vegetable dye palette has mellowed over more than a century into tones of remarkable natural beauty.
Serab rugs, woven in the village of Serab and surrounding areas in the mountains of Northwest Persia south of Tabriz, are among the most coveted antique rugs by serious collectors and interior designers worldwide. Distinguished above all by their use of naturally colored camel hair — which gives the field a warm, honey-toned luminosity impossible to replicate with dyed wool — Serab rugs are celebrated for their extraordinary fineness of weave, their restrained geometric designs, and a palette of natural undyed camel and vegetable-dyed accents that achieves a beauty of uncommon depth and understatement. The runner format is the most traditional Serab proportion, and 19th century examples in good condition are among the most actively traded pieces in the antique rug market.
Dimensions: 5' 1" x 10' 10"
Date of Manufacture: 4th Quarter of the 1800s
Place of Origin: NW Persia (Serab region)
Material: Wool pile on a wool foundation with vegetable dyes and natural camel hair
