448. an uplifting old Bachtiari Persian carpet

448. Provenance: Bachtiari tribe, Western Persia

Size: 296 x 200 cm

Age: Circa 1920

Condition: Good.

Notes: A fabulous and very self-assured version of the famous Bachtiari garden rug, full of flowers, birds and Cypress trees, each in their own panel (possibly representing windows through which one views the garden).  The Bachtiaris are nomadic herders, living and working in some of the harshest semi-arid mountain environments of Iran, but they invariably weave lush floral garden carpets and rugs. I love the idea of the weaving women dreaming of intensely irrigated, cultivated and ornate palace gardens - a world away from their own existence. This piece has excellent colours, particularly the indigo blue, and the soft pink.