A Heriz silk rug, Northwest Persia

inscribed in Arabic,  fi dar al-sina'ah al-hindi (?), 'In the House (or College) of Crafts of India (?)'

182cm the left hand side, 183cm the right hand side, 135cm the top, 139cm the bottom.Fantastic weave, fine, flexible, exemplary handle and weave. Pile overall 3mm, original flatwoven ends and fringing with very slight losses. Intentionally darker yellow spandrels at lower end (based on pile direction). Original side cords with some very minor scattered restorations. Small area of slight discolouration in lower half of left hand border, barely visible on face of rug. Really outstanding.
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This exceptional silk rug gives rise to some interesting questions. The tissue-like handle and weave are typical of Northwest Persia, specifically the 19^th century weavings of the Heriz region, yet details within the design and the inscription, which references India, present us with something of a puzzle. When considering the design and the inclusion of the four arabesque lattice-stars within the field one can see the influence of early Safavid works such as ceramic tiles or the 'Polish' carpet formerly in the Keir collection, which share this motif - Spuhler, F., Islamic Carpets and Textiles in the Keir Collection, 1978, pl. 55, pp. 103 and 109. But equally this lattice is found in Mughal works of art such as the carpet fragment, again in the Keir collection (op cit), No. 60, p. 122 and some of the palmettes resemble hibiscus flowers, more typically Indian iconography.  

Silk rugs of this quality and weave are not known products of Indian looms, and this piece may have been made as a commission in Persia; but we cannot quite exclude the possibility that it was produced in India in a 'House of Crafts' or Art School under the guidance of a Persian weaver. There are two such schools which could possibly have accommodated such teachings. The Madras School of Art in Chennai (now the Government College of Fine Arts) established 1850 - and the Government College of Art & Craft in Kolkata, established 16 August 1854. However, in the absence of further information, on balance the rug is assigned to Northwest Persia.

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