A Safavid 'vase'-technique carpet fragment, Southeast Persia, probably Kirman, early 17th century

Ex-collection Erica Maria Remarque, Paulette Goddard, Ascona

Acquired 1976, thence by descent

The fragment allows us a glimpse at the sophistication and grandeur of Safavid weaving. It is no surprise that the carpet has been described as “of the highest quality and refinement” (HALI, no.117, p.166). 

The magnificent Bernheimer blue-ground fragment, sold at Sotheby’s, New York, 31 January 2014, lot 143, and a fragment

in the MAK, Vienna (inv. no.T7346/1912) display immediate parallels to the present fragment. Each is woven with a directional flowering plant design superimposed with a lattice of open split-leaf arabesques drawn with a wonderful sense of freedom. They are all woven on a blue ground, although the present example is a darker tone than the saxe-blue of the above-mentioned examples. The fragments also share a complementary border of sophisticated arabesques. The border of this fragment is closest to the Vienna example given that it is drawn with floral vine whose flowers appear to be delicately scattered within the arabesques, a feature which is lacking in the Bernheimer fragment. A similar border is found on a remarkable Kirman ‘Vase’ carpet in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. no.43.121.2). That carpet shows a comparable arabesque design for approximately 50cm. at one end of the field before the weaver amended it to a ‘vase’ design. 

In the late seventeenth century, the open arabesque lattice present here would develop into carpets displaying a closed lattice of arabesques, such as an example sold in these rooms, 6 April 2011, lot 456. By the nineteenth century, this in turn had developed into the Garrus designs of Bijar weavings.

Another fragment from this carpet, also from the Erica Maria Remarque, Paulette Goddard Collection, Ascona, and subsequently in the Wher collection, was sold at Christie’s, London, 3 May 2001, lot 77 (HALI, no.117, p.166).