Authentic 19th Century Persian Tabriz Floral Handwoven Wool Rug

A late 19th century antique Persian Tabriz carpet, the sand field dominated by a large tree with angular flowering vines issuing from a decorative vase at the lower end within a sand border with unusual angular flowering vinery between reciprocal floral meander stripes.

Tabriz, the capital of the northwestern Iranian province of Azerbaijan, has for centuries enjoyed a great reputation as a center of Persian culture. Under the benign patronage of Shah Abbas the Great (1587-1629), artists and artisans designed illuminated manuscripts, embroidered silks, painted miniatures and fabricated metal work in the Safavid style. It was in this fertile, creative atmosphere that the weavers of Tabriz antique carpets for the Court were inspired to reach for new artistic heights and created exceptional Antique Persian rugs and carpets. The art of carpet-weaving was handed down from generation to generation and considered a family treasure, allowing artists to ply a respected trade.