ANTIQUE PERSIAN MALAYER HAND KNOTTED RUG, 5.2 x 9.2 (157cm x 279cm)

Made In: Persia (Iran) – 26-003 - $850.00

Style: Malayer Rug

Design: Tribal Floral Motifs

Exact Size: 5ft 2in x 9ft 2in, 30.8lbs (157cm x 279cm, 14.0kg)

Weave: 100% Hand Knotted

Pile:  Wool – Medium

Foundation: Cotton

Field Color: Red

Border Color: Gray

Condition/Description: Offered here is an antique Persian Malayer rug was hand knotted in Iran of 100 percent natural wool. This rug is 110-130+ years old, has medium wool piles and is in excellent condition for its age. This rug features a bold, arched mihrab set against a luminous madder-red field, symbolically oriented and framed by softly scalloped outlines typical of western Persian devotional weavings. At the center of the field is an elongated vertical medallion and floral totem, anchored by an ivory cartouche and surrounded by delicate floral sprays and rosettes. The spandrels are rendered in an attractive celadon-green tone, a highly desirable and relatively uncommon color in antique village prayer rugs, providing striking contrast against the red ground. No repairs, very soft with a gorgeous design. This rug was acquired from an established rug merchant. Clean and ready to be enjoyed. FLAT RATE SHIPPING OF $50.00 FOR THIS RUG WITHIN THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Flat rate shipping is billed separately after the invoice has been paid. 5ft 2in x 9ft 2in, 30.8lbs (157cm x 279cm, 14.0kg), LOT REF #26-003

Malayer is a large village located between the major weaving areas of Hamadan and Sarouk in Northwest Persia. In Malayer and the small villages surrounding it, production was almost exclusively small antique rugs and runners made by individual weavers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. An extremely limited number of larger Persian carpets up to 10ft by 13ft were woven on the family level in some of the larger villages. Oversize antique carpets are seen very rarely and were woven on commission. Malayer and the surrounding villages produced some of the most decorative of Persian village weavings. At the finer levels, each Malayer Oriental carpet is distinct, the weavers having drawn on a large pool of designs, investing much originality in their creation. This richness of motifs makes antique Malayer rugs endlessly interesting. The “boteh” or sprouting seed (a sign of rebirth and growth in nature) was a favorite motif of the antique rug weavers, sometimes covering the field in small rugs and runners. Stylized birds were another beloved design, adding a whimsical touch. Flower head and vinery lattice Persian carpet patterns and the well-known Herati design (diamonds flanked by flower heads and leaves) were all employed by the tribal rug weavers. Inspiration also came from the sophisticated carpets of the Ferahan plain to the East.