An Isphahan part metal-thread small carpet, Central Persia

silk warp and some cotton whites

New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Loan Exhibition of Early Oriental Rugs, November  1, 1910 - January 15, 1911
Washington, D.C., Corcoran Gallery of Art, Carpets for the Great Shah, October 3 - November 16, 1948

Valentiner, Wilhelm, Catalogue of a Loan Exhibition of Early Oriental Rugs, New York, 1910, no. 43
The Corcoran Gallery of Art. Illustrated Handbook of The W. A. Clark Collection, The Corcoran Gallery of Art. Washington, D.C.: W. F. Roberts Company, 1928, p. 77  
Arthur Upham Pope, A Survey of Persian Art, New York, 1939, p. 1187
"Carpets for the Great Shah: The Near-Eastern Carpets from the W. A. Clark Collection," The Corcoran Gallery of Art Bulletin, Washington, D.C., Vol. 2, No. 1, October 1948, pp. 5 and 13

Wool pile generally good, dense, closely shorn 1/10in. overall with dark browns oxidized to knotheads and foundation. An approximately 15in. repaired foldwear slit into right side from edge. Small reweaves and repaired slits along vertical central axis of carpet with corresponding old glued patches on reverse. Some much smaller further patches on reverse. Lower end corners with patches from another carpet; approximately 5in. by 1in. and 2in. by 1-1/2 in. in size. Upper right corner with several repaired slits, patches from another carpet with glue on reverse; L-shaped, approximately 4in. by 5in. in size. Upper left corner with a glued patch, approx. 4in. by 1-1/2 in. in guard border. Sides later reselvaged, ends missing end guard borders. Both sides and ends with linen bands glued on reverse. Flexible handle, although silk warps breaking in areas and there are scattered small slits. Recommend handling with care. Unusually good pile for age. Please note that a license may be required to export textiles, rugs and carpets of Iranian origin from the United States. Clients should enquire with the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regarding export requirements. Please check with the Carpet department if you are uncertain as to whether a lot is subject to this restriction or if you need assistance.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This lot belongs to a small group of Safavid wool and metal-thread carpets, of which the most well-known examples are probably the Enzenberg spiral-vine carpet in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection and the pair of Tabriz animal and palmette carpets from the shrine of Sheikh Safi at Ardabil, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha, Qatar, see Friedrich Spuhler, The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection: Carpets and Textiles, London, 1998, pp. 104-105; M. S. Dimand and Jean Mailey, Oriental Rugs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1973, p. 52; and Franses, M., "Safavid Carpets in the Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar," Hali, issue 155, pl. 2, pp. 76-78 respectively.   With its extremely graceful and sinuous scrolling vines, the present carpet is closest to the Enzenberg/Thyssen-Bornemisza piece. Also, when compared to the other cited examples, the present lot’s border is populated in a relatively sparse fashion. Compared to the Enzenberg carpet, the overall symmetry in the lot offered here is generally more precise in detail, particularly in the drawing of the palmettes mirroring each other, and the cloud bands are used more abundantly. Interestingly, at the same time the design motifs in the inner guard border here are much more angular and geometric than those found in the Enzenberg carpet. The presence of metal-thread in all of the above wool carpets is a clear indication of the Safavid fascination with opulence and luxury as adding silver or silver-gilt metal renders the already jewel-like tones of the wool even more rich and sumptuous. It is interesting to note that, whereas ‘Polonaise’ rugs (which have a similar aesthetic) have survived in relatively large numbers, very few classical wool and metal-thread carpets exist today. Pope suggested that “the silver has rarely remained intact, either because the wound silver casing was too thin and friable, or because these carpets were especially subject to vandalism that sought to cull a few coins from the precious metal. Consequently, the enriched areas for the most part show now only as a section in flat woven silk…,” see Pope, ibid., p. 2366. This is certainly not the case in the present carpet, which has retained both its pile and metal-thread brocading in excellent condition.

Other known Safavid wool carpets with metal brocading are: illustrated in Arthur Upham Pope, A Survey of Persian Art, New York, 1939, pp. 1178 and 1185; a rug in Colonial Williamsburg, see Lanier, Mildred B., English and Oriental Carpets at Williamsburg, 1975, pl. 15; and another carpet with a 'Polonaise'-inspired design sold Sotheby's London, October 11, 2004, lot 68.

Please note that a license may be required to export textiles, rugs and carpets of Iranian origin from the United States. Clients should enquire with the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regarding export requirements. Please check with the Carpet department if you are uncertain as to whether a lot is subject to this restriction or if you need assistance.