Object Description
Fine Early Laver Kirman Carpet
4.75 x 3.44 m
Laver Kirman carpets are among the most highly prized, and most distinct, of all Persian workshop pieces. The workshops of Kirman, well known for the high quality of their weavings, won the royal patronage of the Safavid court in the 17th Century, and became some of the earliest Oriental carpets to make their way into the Western market. Later on, its weavers, in turn, took a certain influence from European textile traditions, incorporating a unique palette, drawn from the colours of Classical French carpets, as can be seen in this example, with its soft champagne, maroon, and olive green tones in the drawing, all in gracefully aged natural vegetable dyes.
This beautiful late 19th Century piece predates the widespread commercialization of Persian carpet weaving, and so bears the charming character of earlier 18th Century pieces in its design, which features a series of scrolling floral and vegetal motifs, centred around a medallion, and framed by a creatively drawn border of grand proportions, all with a crisp clarity, thanks to the quality of its weave.
A true work of art, this piece is in remarkably good condition condiering its age, still retaining its original outer borders on all sides, and would make a fine addition to a variety of interiors.