Safavid Carpet Border Fragment

 The ruler of present day Iran back in the late 16th century was Shah Abbas the Great. He is responsible for transferring the Safavid capital from Kazvin to Isphahan as well as creating studios for artists of the time. The Shah was a weaver and he is known for creating some of the greatest carpets of his time. In the fragment below we see beautiful palmettes,  and very expressive cloudbands. The quality, color, drawing and structure of the fragment all point to it being created by a workshop of the highest caliber.

The border fragment below is approximately 4 feet by 1 foot and dates to the second half of the 16th century. The knot density of the fragment is around 325 and looks to have held up well over the past 450+ years.

  Here is the Sotheby's auction link from 2001 when this item sold for $43,875.

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