Beige Oversized Antique Persian Kirman Rug

An exceptional late 19th century Persian Karastan Kirman rug, the sand field with scrolling floral vinery framing enlarged black and red medallions containing floral motifs within an unusual ivory linked palmette border. During the sixteenth century, Shah Abbas I reportedly gave antique Persian rugs embroidered with gold and silver thread as tribute to the Ottoman Court. The fame of these oriental weavings rapidly spread across Western Europe. From the mid sixteenth century through the eighteenth century, the city of Kirman was celebrated for 'vase' extra large area rugs, a term deriving from the depiction of vase motifs in many examples woven there. By the nineteenth century, Kirman was recognized for exceptional in the best Persian tradition. Antique Persian Kirman carpets of this period, especially the Lavar group woven in the town of Ravar, are known for their fine weave, delicate drawing, incomparable range of color, and are still much in demand today.