Page 254 - ART OF THE ISLAMIC AND INDIAN WORLDS Carpets, Ceramics Objects, Christie's London Oct..27, 2022

■*236
A SILK SOUF KIRMAN RUG
SOUTH PERSIA, CIRCA 1900
Woven on orange silk warps, with light wear and corrosion in the upper half,
overall very good condition
6ft.4in. x 4ft.4in. (193cm. x 132cm.)
£6,000-8,000 US$6,900-9,200
€6,900-9,200
The knot count measures approximately 9V x 8H knots per cm. sq. ■*238
A SILK AND METAL-THREAD SOUF
KASHAN PRAYER RUG
CENTRAL PERSIA, CIRCA 1890
Overall excellent condition
6ft.7in. x 4ft.5in. (201cm. x 135cm.)
£8,000-12,000 US$9,400-14,000
€9,300-14,000
The knot count measures approximately 8V x 7H
per cm. sq.
The souf technique involves the design being
piled as in a normal carpet. The ground however
is flatwoven, allowing the design to stand out
both physically and visually. The main structure
of souf Kashan carpets has a central cotton core,
but it is woven such that in the areas of flatwoven
ground it is covered by the secondary silk wefts.
When a souf carpet becomes worn you begin to
see the cotton structure showing through the
236 coloured silk ground.
The colour in the field is given by the surface
coloured silk warps and wefts. In most Kashan
souf rugs and carpets these are both of a
uniform colour. Sometimes one finds additional
metal-thread wefting providing a silver field. A
small number of souf carpets use this technical
feature to create field and border designs that
are different. The present rug is exemplary in its
execution, design and colour, with a particularly
■237 attractive soft shade of green as its ground colour.
A SILK TABRIZ RUG
NORTH WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1880
In overall very good condition
6ft.1in. x 4ft.3in. (185cm. x 130cm.)
£6,000-8,000 US$6,900-9,200
€7,000-9,200
The knot count measures approximately 8V x 8H per cm. sq.

237

252 In addition to the hammer price, a Buyer’s Premium (plus VAT) is payable. Other taxes and/or an Artist Resale Royalty 253
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.