210 - Mahal Rug (cotton warp and weft, wool pile), Central Persia, circa 1960–1980

Mahal Rug (cotton warp and weft, wool pile), Central Persia, circa 1960–1980 200 x 133 The carpet is adorned with a small, polychrome, crenellated central octagon, extended by two pendants on a red ground with a blue counter-ground featuring polychrome geometric floral motifs. A navy blue border with a garland of flowers is framed by two ivory counter-borders. Sultanabad, now known as Arak, was at that time a new city with a population of some 10,000. To support such a large-scale production, looms were scattered over a radius of about 100 kilometers. Among the many villages in the region are Mahal and Sarouk, both of which enjoy international renown. The term “Mahal” refers to carpets from the central region of Persia. Mahal carpets are meticulously crafted in both technique and design: they are finely knotted with high-quality wool, feature a variety of colors (blue, red, ochre, etc.), and have a short pile that brings out the brilliance of the designs. The carpets are decorated with medallions or bouquets of flowers (as in Sarouk carpets), or with repetitive patterns identical to those found in Wear and fraying Expert: Alexandre Chevalier