Antique Persian Bakhtiari carpet

This Persian Bakhtiari carpet was made in the Chahar Mahal region in the first quarter of the 20th century. Its field design of interlocking lozenges filled with cypress trees, flowers and birds is a design type that became very popular in Europe as well as Iran and appears to be a village version of a more formal pattern found in carpets woven in Isfahan and Kerman. Chahar Mahal is an arid region, and gardens are therefore very much appreciated. This is evident in the often flamboyant displays in carpets from this area, including this piece.

What, at first sight, seems to be a lively and random arrangement of lozenges betrays careful planning when observed in detail. Thus, the lozenges containing the cypresses which are flanked by two sets of red flowers (most likely roses) are all on a white ground and therefore stand out. They are arranged in diagonals which can be read both ways, alternating with mostly red-ground lozenges in one direction and by and large blue-ground lozenges in the other. The diagonals between the ones containing the white elements consist of lozenges on a dark and a light blue ground in one direction and lozenges on an alternating red and a dark blue ground in the other. Tha patterns in each colour lozenge are also regular in their distribution. 

The colours in this carpet are all naturally dyed, including the yellow which, in this example, is less punchy than it sometimes is in carpets from this area. 

This is a happy carpet which will add colour and cheer to a home. It was made of good quality wool on a cotton foundation and is in excellent condition.

Dimensions

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

Condition report

Stock number