Page 144 - 2021 April 1, ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND Indian Worlds Including Oriental Rugs, Christie's London

■*137
A SILK HERIZ RUG
NORTH WEST PERSIA, SECOND HALF 19TH CENTURY
early Safavid Kirman 'Vase' carpets (The Bernheimer Family Collection of
Overall excellent condition
5ft.11in. x 4ft.5in. (182cm. x 135cm.) Carpets, sold in these Rooms 14 February 1996, lot 150). While the lattice
design on the present rug clearly uses the same delicate scrolling vine
£25,000-35,000 US$36,000-49,000 terminating in split-palmettes, it has been simplified from a triple layer to
€29,000-40,000
a single plane, another feature typical of the changes that occurred as the
designs moved. A silk rug bearing the same field design but on an ivory
The knot count is approximately 10V x 8H per cm. sq.
ground, devoid of the small indented spandrels and with a distinct border
design found on 17th century 'Vase' carpets, sold in these Rooms, 13 October
2005, lot 75. A yellow ground silk Heriz rug, with a floral trellis variant with
The movement of designs from seventeenth century Kirman to eighteenth
similar spandrels and the same turtle-palmette and scrolling vine border and
century north west Persian carpets is well documented, and the reasons
floral guard stripes as our rug, was sold Sotheby’s New York April 10 & 11,
well-rehearsed. Many eighteenth century wool carpets display designs taken,
1981, lot 424. Another example from this group was published by Eberhart
sometimes loosely and sometimes very closely, from the Kirman originals.
Herrmann, Von Konya bis Kokand, Seltene Orientteppiche, Munich, 1980, vol.
A very good comparison is given by a carpet in the Burns Collection with its
III, cat. no.61, p.123; and another sold with Sotheby's London, 1 November
prototype now in the Metropolitan Museum (James D. Burns, Antique Rugs
2016, lot 97, formerly with Herrmann, (op.cit., Munich, vol. IV, cat. no. 68,
of Kurdistan, London, 2002, no.34, pp.126-7; Joseph V. McMullen, Islamic
pp.198-199). There has been some discussion as to where this group of rugs
Carpets, New York, 1965, no.17, pp.84-5).
was woven with suggestions of Heriz, Tabriz and Joshagan, but all share the
The present rug is another very clear example of this.The main field displays same fine quality of execution, highly lustrous silk, richly saturated natural
a north west Persian variant of the floral spray and lattice design found in dyes and an affinity of design with earlier Safavid carpets.
142 In addition to the hammer price, a Buyer’s Premium (plus VAT) is payable. Other taxes and/or an Artist Resale Royalty
fee are also payable if the lot has a tax or λ symbol. Check Section D of the Conditions of Sale at the back of this catalogue.