Safavid Carpets (page in preparation)
Except otherwise stated, all results below include the premium.
See also : Persia Islam Textiles
Chronology : 1570-1599 17th century 1600-1609 1650-1659
See also : Persia Islam Textiles
Chronology : 1570-1599 17th century 1600-1609 1650-1659
Niche Prayer Rug
Intro
On October 6, 2010, Sotheby's sold for £ 1.16M a Safavid prayer rug, 180 x 112 cm, lot 394. The center is made up of trees, branches and vases in a mosque-shaped niche. The large borders show selected verses from the Qur'an.
This piece was one of a famous group of 89 so-named Topkapi rugs.
Another Topkapi Niche rug, 168 x 114 cm, was sold by Sotheby's for £ 400K on March 31, 2021, lot 138.
A prayer rug 173 x 120 cm from the same group was sold by Sotheby's for $ 365K on January 31, 2014, lot 93. It is attributed to Kashan or Isfahan ca 1600.
This piece was one of a famous group of 89 so-named Topkapi rugs.
Another Topkapi Niche rug, 168 x 114 cm, was sold by Sotheby's for £ 400K on March 31, 2021, lot 138.
A prayer rug 173 x 120 cm from the same group was sold by Sotheby's for $ 365K on January 31, 2014, lot 93. It is attributed to Kashan or Isfahan ca 1600.
> 1590 Isfahan Rug
2009 SOLD for £ 2.7M by Sotheby's
To be narrated later
On October 7, 2009, a Safavid prayer rug, 163 x 110 cm, was sold for £ 2.7M by Sotheby's from a lower estimate of £ 80K, lot 276.
Late 16th century Carpet
2005 SOLD for $ 2.03M by Sotheby's
To be narrated later
A Safavid carpet 830 x 340 cm made in East Persia in late 16th century was sold for $ 2.03M by Sotheby's on November 3, 2005 from a lower estimate of $ 500K, lot 160.
1600 Silk Isfahan Rug
2008 SOLD for $ 4.45M by Christie's
In 1598 CE Abbas I transfers his capital to Isfahan. The city, destroyed by the Mongols in 1387, centralizes the very ambitious cultural policy of the Shah. Everything must be done to dazzle the visitors.
On June 3, 2008, Christie's sold a Persian rug for $ 4.45M from a lower estimate of $ 1M, lot 37. This 230 x 170 cm piece is entirely woven in silk without brocade. Its unique luminescence could be a witness to that rebirth of Isfahan, around 1600.
The search for luminosity is carried to perfection, with 17 colors including several shades of yellow. Its repeating pattern of flowers, leaves and plant arabesques is centered by a small medallion, an innovation that provided the illusion of a water lily floating on a pond when the colors still had all their original contrast.
The so-called "Polonaise" rugs, woven in Isfahan and Kashan, can be considered as an evolution of this design a few decades later. Unfortunately their silver brocades are often blackened by oxidation and the dyes are less stable.
On June 3, 2008, Christie's sold a Persian rug for $ 4.45M from a lower estimate of $ 1M, lot 37. This 230 x 170 cm piece is entirely woven in silk without brocade. Its unique luminescence could be a witness to that rebirth of Isfahan, around 1600.
The search for luminosity is carried to perfection, with 17 colors including several shades of yellow. Its repeating pattern of flowers, leaves and plant arabesques is centered by a small medallion, an innovation that provided the illusion of a water lily floating on a pond when the colors still had all their original contrast.
The so-called "Polonaise" rugs, woven in Isfahan and Kashan, can be considered as an evolution of this design a few decades later. Unfortunately their silver brocades are often blackened by oxidation and the dyes are less stable.
Vase Weaving Technique
Intro
The Safavid Shahs developed to its greatest perfection the art of Persian carpet, first in Tabriz and then at Isfahan and Kirman.
Beauty and durability result from a high technical complexity whose climax is reached at Kirman. The weavers use wool and cotton in the same pieces with a wide range of dyes. The colors are dazzling and the themes with flowers, leaves and birds are charming.
The most complex weaving technique uses no less than three weft passes per knot. It is named Vase on a proposal by May Beattie in 1976.
Beauty and durability result from a high technical complexity whose climax is reached at Kirman. The weavers use wool and cotton in the same pieces with a wide range of dyes. The colors are dazzling and the themes with flowers, leaves and birds are charming.
The most complex weaving technique uses no less than three weft passes per knot. It is named Vase on a proposal by May Beattie in 1976.
1
The Carpet of Senator Clark
2013 SOLD for $ 34M by Sotheby's
The extreme refinement of Persian carpets reached its peak under the Safavid dynasty. Well known by the connoisseurs, the carpet of Senator Clark had already been described for nearly a century as a masterpiece of Persian textile art. It was exhibited after the death of its owner in 1925 in a museum that de-accessioned it. It was sold for $ 34M from a lower estimate of $ 5M by Sotheby's on June 5, 2013, lot 12.
Its red background is rare and perhaps unique in its class, the sickle-leaf pattern variant of the 'Vase' technique. Its fine floral motifs and its palmettes make it a vibrant and sumptuous artwork in 267 x 196 cm size.
It is always difficult to date and locate an old carpet, if not by considerations of its technical characteristics. The Clark carpet is Safavid and probably Kirman. It is comparable to the best pieces woven during the reign of Shah Abbas 400 years ago.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
Its red background is rare and perhaps unique in its class, the sickle-leaf pattern variant of the 'Vase' technique. Its fine floral motifs and its palmettes make it a vibrant and sumptuous artwork in 267 x 196 cm size.
It is always difficult to date and locate an old carpet, if not by considerations of its technical characteristics. The Clark carpet is Safavid and probably Kirman. It is comparable to the best pieces woven during the reign of Shah Abbas 400 years ago.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
2
The Béhague Carpet
2010 SOLD for £ 6.2M by Christie's
A Kirman carpet was released from anonymity on April 15, 2010 at a Christie's sale in London when it was sold for £ 6.2M from a lower estimate of £ 200K, lot 100. The press revealed that it had been sold six months earlier in Augsburg from an estimate of € 800 by a local auctioneer who refused to publish the result.
This wool carpet is knotted using the intricate Vase technique, suggesting that it was woven in the royal workshops of the Safavid dynasty. It measures 339 x 153 cm and is in outstanding condition except for a few tiny repairs and some corrosion of the black threads. It had been commented in 1938 by an expert who stated for its provenance the prestigious collection of the comtesse de Béhague.
The golden age of Kirman carpets is the reign of Abbas I, who died in 1629 CE. The Béhague carpet is characterized by a very elegant simplification of shapes that Christie's positions around the mid-17th century.
In a magnificent geometric regularity, parallel stems support several pairs of leaves. From top to bottom, the leaves of one stem alternate with the leaves from the adjacent stem. Tiny flowers are inserted into the spaces between the leaves. This decoration anticipates the repetition of flowers and leaves in the highly popular Herati pattern and may evoke some figures from the Iznik ceramics.
This wool carpet is knotted using the intricate Vase technique, suggesting that it was woven in the royal workshops of the Safavid dynasty. It measures 339 x 153 cm and is in outstanding condition except for a few tiny repairs and some corrosion of the black threads. It had been commented in 1938 by an expert who stated for its provenance the prestigious collection of the comtesse de Béhague.
The golden age of Kirman carpets is the reign of Abbas I, who died in 1629 CE. The Béhague carpet is characterized by a very elegant simplification of shapes that Christie's positions around the mid-17th century.
In a magnificent geometric regularity, parallel stems support several pairs of leaves. From top to bottom, the leaves of one stem alternate with the leaves from the adjacent stem. Tiny flowers are inserted into the spaces between the leaves. This decoration anticipates the repetition of flowers and leaves in the highly popular Herati pattern and may evoke some figures from the Iznik ceramics.
Velvet
1
Figural Velvet
2009 SOLD for $ 3.4M by Sotheby's
To be narrated later
On March 19, 2009 in Doha, a Safavid silk velvet nicely decorated with two figures, 74 x 107 cm, was sold for $ 3.4M by Sotheby's from a lower estimate of $ 250K, lot 301.
2
Silk Velvet Brocade
2010 SOLD for £ 1.6M by Sotheby's
Textile is a symbol of luxury and refinement since immemorial time. But it is a fragile art, and few examples remain to testify to the extreme skill displayed in antique workshops.
A brocade of high complexity measuring 57 x 71 cm, 84 x 100 cm including borders, was created in Safavid Persia 300 to 400 years ago. It is very difficult to date such a piece with precision. Sotheby's sold it on April 14, 2010 for £ 1.6M from a lower estimate of £ 300K.
It is a green and red silk velvet woven on a bright yellow ground. The decor is composed of complex patterns punctuated by medallions and including peacocks, birds of paradise and flowers.
This sample is unpublished. It is known that it comes from the sale of a collection at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris in February 1912. It had not been seen since that time.
A brocade of high complexity measuring 57 x 71 cm, 84 x 100 cm including borders, was created in Safavid Persia 300 to 400 years ago. It is very difficult to date such a piece with precision. Sotheby's sold it on April 14, 2010 for £ 1.6M from a lower estimate of £ 300K.
It is a green and red silk velvet woven on a bright yellow ground. The decor is composed of complex patterns punctuated by medallions and including peacocks, birds of paradise and flowers.
This sample is unpublished. It is known that it comes from the sale of a collection at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris in February 1912. It had not been seen since that time.
Polonaise Carpet
1
2019 SOLD for £ 3.9M by Christie's
To be narrated later
A Polonaise carpet 205 x 140 cm from Isfahan was sold for £ 3.9M by Christie's on May 2, 2019 from a lower estimate of £ 600K, lot 254.
2
2019 SOLD for £ 3.7M by Christie's
To be narrated later
A Polonaise carpet 200 x 145 cm from Isfahan was sold for £ 3.7M by Christie's on May 2, 2019 from a lower estimate of £ 550K, lot 255.
3
Polonaises for Italy
2021 SOLD for £ 2.06M by Christie's
Since the reign of Shah Abbas, the Persian carpet was the symbol of the splendor of the new capital, Isfahan. The weaving workshops are developing new techniques that bring an unprecedented luminosity. Abbas dies in 1629 CE.
The craze is growing. The needs of the Shah come first, but the workshops in Isfahan and Kashan get permission to supply other clients when they have time. This fashion reaches Europe. To obtain the same visual effects more easily, the textiles are brocaded with silver and gilded silver. Production becomes more abundant. These rugs went out of fashion around 1700.
In the Polish section of the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1878, Prince Czartoryski exhibits his collection of brocaded rugs. This type of carpet is henceforth referred to as "à la Polonaise". Their conservation is less good than for rugs from Abbas's reign, because the brocades oxidized and the dyes were less stable.
The Italian aristocracy was fond of these Polonaise style rugs. A 208 x 135 cm carpet which came in 1984 from the estate of King Umberto II was sold for $ 790K by Sotheby's on October 1, 2015, lot 68..
On April 1, 2021, Christie's sold a Polonaise carpet 210 x 140 cm for £ 2.06M, lot 129. The brocades have not escaped oxidation, but this piece is remarkable for the thickness of its silk pile and for its intact edges. It has not been restored. These rugs were often produced and delivered in two identical copies. The other element of the pair is on display to the public at the Palazzo del Principe in Genoa.
The craze is growing. The needs of the Shah come first, but the workshops in Isfahan and Kashan get permission to supply other clients when they have time. This fashion reaches Europe. To obtain the same visual effects more easily, the textiles are brocaded with silver and gilded silver. Production becomes more abundant. These rugs went out of fashion around 1700.
In the Polish section of the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1878, Prince Czartoryski exhibits his collection of brocaded rugs. This type of carpet is henceforth referred to as "à la Polonaise". Their conservation is less good than for rugs from Abbas's reign, because the brocades oxidized and the dyes were less stable.
The Italian aristocracy was fond of these Polonaise style rugs. A 208 x 135 cm carpet which came in 1984 from the estate of King Umberto II was sold for $ 790K by Sotheby's on October 1, 2015, lot 68..
On April 1, 2021, Christie's sold a Polonaise carpet 210 x 140 cm for £ 2.06M, lot 129. The brocades have not escaped oxidation, but this piece is remarkable for the thickness of its silk pile and for its intact edges. It has not been restored. These rugs were often produced and delivered in two identical copies. The other element of the pair is on display to the public at the Palazzo del Principe in Genoa.
'A rare survival from a golden age' — a 400-year-old Persian carpet of outstanding quality will be offered at auction for the first time on 1 April: https://t.co/aCl8IJKxnJ pic.twitter.com/L1AyzgIwst
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) March 29, 2021
