867. a confident Mahal northwest Persian rug

867. Provenance: Mahal, Arak (Sultanabad), northwest Persia

Size: 135 x 210 cm 

Age: circa 1960

Condition: Good.

Notes: Woven in the town of Arak (which used to be called Sultanabad) and surrounding villages, these relatively loosely woven, supple rugs exhibit many of the qualities of Persian 'village' rugs (ie. woven by sedentary villagers on vertical looms, as part of a cottage industry) - expressive, somewhat naive, and often using excellent, bold natural dyes. The designs lie somewhere between the more freeflow artistry of tribal weavers, and the more sophisticated formality of Persian 'city' floral carpets.