WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

Details

A FEREGHAN CARPET
WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890
The sky-blue ground with arranged groups of animals and birds amongst flowering tendrils, within a rich red border of bold vine forming cartouches enclosing the lion and the sun motifs emblematic of the Persian flag, even wear, small repairs and reweaves
12 ft. 5 in. x 9 ft. (379 x 274 cm.)

Provenance

Anonymous Sale, Christie's, London, 13 October 2005, lot 93, where acquired.

Special Notice

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Sale Room Notice

Please note that a license is required to export or import textiles, rugs and carpets of Iranian origin to and from the United States. Clients should enquire with the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regarding export requirements.

Brought to you by

Adrian Hume-Sayer

ahume-sayer@christies.com +44 (0) 20 7389 2696

Lot Essay

While rather naive in their depiction within the border cartouches on the present carpet, the figures of the lion and sun (Persian: شیر و خورشید‎‎, Shir o Khorshid) had been a highly popular emblem in Iran in the 12th century. During the Safavid era, the lion and sun stood for the two pillars of society, the state and the Islamic religion and later became a national emblem during the Qajar era. In the 19th century, European visitors at the Qajar court attributed the lion and sun to remote antiquity; since then, it has acquired a nationalistic interpretation. Between 1846 and 1979, the two figures were depicted on the country's national flag until the revolution in 1979 when they were replaced with the present-day Coat of Arms.

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