Fine Mood Mahi Persian Rug

A fine Mood Mahi Persian rug from Birjand in eastern Persia, hand-knotted in wool on cotton in the late twentieth century, with a round medallion on an ivory herati field.

A round medallion sits at the centre of an ivory field covered edge to edge in the herati, the small repeating rosette-and-leaf pattern the trade calls mahi, drawn fine and even across the whole rug. Deep brick-red spandrels hold the corners, and the main border carries cartouches in sky blue and ivory on brick between narrow guards.

Two colours carry the rug. The blue is a soft, greyed sky blue that sits down in the palette rather than jumping out of it, and the red is a deep brick madder that moves from knot to knot, darker and cooler in one and warmer in the next. Both drift the way small hand-dyed lots do, and around them the ivory, camel, sage and navy are just as quiet. The wool has a natural lustre right across the surface, the sheen of a good fleece rather than of silk.

The rug is in unused condition, with a full, even pile across the whole surface, and the selvedges and fringes are the ones it was woven with.

At 330 by 220cm it is a full room size for a living or dining room. View it in our Richmond gallery, or explore more vintage Persian rugs.