(High-Decorative) ("New Arrivals Gallery") One of the most beautiful, although rarely seen, allover floral designs in the Persian ouvre, this carpet’s jubilant "Afshan pattern" of wonderfully stylized botanical elements expands across its mesmerizing, color-striated strawberry red field. Exotic marigold, aquamarine, daffodil, sienna, and more illumine both the field and border in this magical, heavier-pile piece. In the Persian panoply, Sultanabad carpets are the new kids on the block. This tradition is the result of Ferahan merchants who saw the possibility of a new lucrative enterprise in a neighboring fort that the Qatar ruler decided should become a bustling town. Investing in looms and weavers would bring needed commerce to this new royal endeavor town and the local venture capitalists. Sultanabad workshops distinguished themselves by creating original, exuberant chromatic displays, as seen in this room-size carpet. The rosettes and curling “koi fish” leaves in the border are superbly drawn and the spectrum of colors used so vivid and varied that one could devote additional study to this oft-overlooked area. Proportionally, it is analogous to the field and engenders a seamless harmony overall.