BAKSHAISH "TREE OF LIFE"
Northwest Persian Antique Carpet

(High-Collectible) ("One of “60 Best-of-Their-Type Rugs Sold in 2022") Majestic and dynamic, 19th century Bakshaish carpets, such as this, are extremely rare, especially one with such a primitive “Tree of Life” design. The best Bakshaish rugs are unequivocally expressive, the characteristic that sets them apart from the rest of the Persian carpet panoply. This remarkable folk art example offers endless points of spontaneity while maintaining its overall balance and harmony--the combination that thrills collectors. This oversize piece offers a single blossoming tree that spans the entire field like a sophisticated art mobile with angular branches culminating in glittering blossoms of sapphire, bronze, and burnished gold. Characteristic of the best pieces from 1875 and earlier, the exceptional abrash color striation that is seen throughout adds great visual depth. The entrancing blue base behind the esoteric border pattern appears to shimmer from its subtly shifting tonalities as if a light was shining outward from within the depth of the color pool. The medallions along the border are full of expression and surprise, constantly changing shape and coloration, acting as the perfect foil to the activity within the glowing ember-red field.

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