AFSHAR
Central Persian Antique Rug

(Connoisseur-Caliber) The Afshar originated as a tribe in 8th century Turkmenistan, migrated to Azerbaijan, then Khorasan, and finally the Fars province in south Persia. Along the way, they contributed to the empire-building of the Savafids and influenced the ascendance of the Persian Qajar dynasty in the late 18th and 19th centuries (heralding what is sometimes known as "The Second Golden Age of Weaving"). A captivatingly original design provides a flurry of active motifs arrayed in reciprocal undulations where exuberant spiky flowerheads alternate with inverted cruciform blossoms. Each compartment and flower is individualized in color and shape. An inner band of eccentric boteh flash like electric bulbs around the perimeter. Note that the flatwoven kilims are almost fully intact at both ends of the rug, which is exceedingly rare to find in any over 150-year-old rug, let alone a nomadic piece intended for rugged use.

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