MALAYER, Northwest Persian
12' 5" x 23' 6" Circa 1875 Price: $49,000
(High-Decorative)
Unlike most area-size weaving villages, Malayer was situated on a major thoroughfare affording it a proximity to commerce that seems to have led to a few large looms. This palace-size antique Malayer carpet reflects the tradition’s aesthetic of evocative stylized floral drawing expressed by a fine weave. A flotilla of multi-lobed medallions filled with a profusion of vases and blossoms including the ‘Guli Farang’ or ‘Foreign Flower’ motif appears to drift on a majestic intentionally rippled pool of sapphire. Rose quartz, terra cotta, and golden wheat mingle with soft cerulean and aquamarine. All of these naturally dyed colors are successfully juxtaposed in this delightfully refreshing nearly 150-year-old Persian carpet of great dimensionality and compelling symmetry.