Antique Afshar Persian Rug with Vase Design, Mid 19th Century
A viewing is a request, not a booking: we write back within 24 hours to confirm a time, in open hours or out of them. No account needed.
ABOUT THIS PIECE
This antique Afshar Persian rug was woven in the Sirjan region in the mid nineteenth century. The field is arranged around a sequence of vases set against a deep indigo ground, each vase brimming with stylised blossoms, angular leaves, and small animal figures. The drawing is lively and unrestrained, reflecting the freehand approach of early tribal weaving and giving the rug a distinctly primitive charm.
Its structure combines ivory cotton warps with two wool wefts, one dyed red and the other ivory, a signature of Afshar work from this era. The pile is handspun wool, symmetrically knotted, producing a supple and cloth-like handle. Colours are achieved through natural dyes, with glowing madder red, strong indigo, warm yellow and naturally brown wool now gently oxidised. With its age, vibrant palette and unmistakably tribal character, this Persian carpet stands as a true collector’s piece of Afshar weaving.
SPECIFICATIONS
How it sits in your room.
176 × 150 CM (5'9" × 4'11"), DRAWN TO SCALE WITH TYPICAL AUSTRALIAN FURNITURE SIZES.
Small beside a 3-seater sofa. It suits a reading corner, under an armchair or across an entry better than a sofa setting.
Only 28 cm of rug would show beyond even a four-seat table, so the chairs would sit off it. This one belongs in a living room or bedroom.
Narrower than a queen bed, so it sits across the foot of the bed, tucked 20 cm under. A pair of runners either side is the other way to dress a bed this size.
Measure the room, or just the area the rug should cover, and we will draw this rug in it to scale.
