A Kirman rug, Southeast Persia,

 The weaver Abu'l-Qasim Kirmani is associated with some of the finest weavings from Kirman of the late 19th and early 20th century, including four Kirman rugs woven to a cartoon by Fursat Shirazi, a painter best known for his miniature and lacquer paintings in the floral gul-o bulbul (rose and nightingale) style, and dated to 1898-9; of these rugs,  one is in the Carpet Museum of Iran, Teheran, see "Das Neue Teppiche-Museum Iran," Hali, vol. 1, no. 1, Spring 1978, pl. IV; one sold Christie's London April 30, 1998, lot 153 and cover, and a silk version sold Christie's London, October 16, 2003 lot 99 and most recently one sold Sotheby's London, April 28, 2004, lot 71. The 'shawl' style surround and border are also particularly associated with Abu'l-Qasim Kirmani, see for example an inscribed rug sold Sotheby's London, October 21, 1992, one of five examples with a central pictorial medallion based on 'Les Fêtes Vénitiennes' by Watteau, one of which is in the  Victoria and Albert Museum, (inv.no.T128.1928).  The example sold by Sotheby's in 1992 was inscribed as having been woven for Farmanfarma Abdul Husain Mirza in 1909, and commissioned by his agent Muhammad Rizá Khan from Ustad ali-yi Kirmani; possibly the same Muhammad Rizá Khan who commissioned the lot offered here. A virtually identical rug to this lot  was sold at Christie's London, 1st May 2003, lot 136.