335 - Tebriz Rug (cotton warp and weft, wool pile), Northwest Persia, circa 1900–1930

Tebriz Rug (cotton warp and weft, wool pile), Northwest Persia, circa 1900–1930 168 x 124 The carpet features a large, multi-lobed central medallion in navy blue, extended by two pendants against a solid old red background on a navy blue sub-ground enhanced with a stylized polychrome floral design. The entire composition is embellished with four ivory spandrels. A navy blue border featuring a garland of flowers is framed by numerous counter-borders. “Due to its proximity to Turkish ports, Tabriz significantly expanded its trade with Europe and thus became a major center of carpet production. By the end of the 18th century, large carpet workshops had been established there. Tabriz carpets are characterized by their high quality and fine knotting and feature a wide variety of designs: the classic central medallion design with four spandrels, vase motifs, full-field Herati patterns, figurative or landscape designs, prayer rugs, and garden rugs. “In fact, there is a very wide variety of Persian carpets: - Carpets from factories where the designs or cartoons are woven identically multiple times; a workshop master or ‘ustad’ directs the work by chanting: ‘one red knot, one green knot, two blue knots, etc.’ ” It is no longer the creative work of a single artisan that gives the rug its spirit, but rather the technical skill of the weaver, the harmony of the design and colors, and the quality of the wool that determine the rug’s beauty and success. Notable examples include the masterpieces of the great masters from the Tabriz region (Djaffer, Hajji Jalil), or from Keschan (Mortashem), Kerman, and Isfahan. - Carpets from village workshops (Senneh, Hamadan, Shiraz, Ferrahan) - Or weavings by nomadic tribes, such as the Khasgai of the Shiraz region: the weaver creates his own design. () All materials are used throughout Persia: the warp threads can be made of sheep’s wool, goat hair, or even camel hair, cotton, or silk. The pile can be knotted from wool or silk, and cotton can also be used to highlight certain motifs.” Bibliographic reference: Chevalier, D. and de Pazzis-Chevalier, N., exhibition catalog “Des tapis inoubliables,” Galerie Chevalier, Paris, 1988, p. 37 Slight wear and fraying