496. a blossoming antique Bachtiari tribal garden rug

496. Provenance: Bachtiari tribe, Western

Size: 304 x 166 cm

Age: Circa 1920

Condition: Good for age. Evenly low pile.

Notes: A lovely Bachtiari garden rug, full of flowers and plants, each in their own panel (possibly representing the palace windows through which one would view the royal 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 typically excellent natural colours, particularly the indigo blue, and the soft pink.