SOUTH PERSIA, THIRD QUARTER 19TH CENTURY

The inclusion of five ivory medallions, one within each spandrel and another placed in the centre of the rug, is commonly referred to as the Hebatlu design, taking its name from one of the smaller Qashqai tribes. While this was commonly used throughout the 19th century, it is the distinct hooked motif in the central lozenge medallion that is significantly older and which is recorded, by Robert Pinner, as having appeared in some paintings of Hans Memling as far back as the 14th century (James Opie,Tribal Rugs of Southern Persia, Portland, 1981, p.40). The richness of colour, the quality of wool and the finely spun wefts, which were very often of silk giving a much smoother weave on the reverse, are all indicative characteristics of the Kashkuli tribe which were part of the Qashqai confederacy (Opie, ibid, p.16). A similar example, originally from the Golestan Palace, can now be found in the Tehran Carpet Museum. The rich red field in that example is more crowded and contains a central column of three linked lozenges, however, each spandrel contains the same ivory palmette and the border and minor stripes are identical to those in the present lot (Siawosch Azadi, Persian Carpets, Hamburg, 1977, no.88, pp.72-73). A closely related example with green spandrels and devoid of medallions within the field, sold in these Rooms, 6 April, 2006, lot 67. The proportions of the present rug are significantly narrower than all of the aforementioned examples making it highly unusual.