SOLD Semi-Antique Persian-Armenian Bakhtiari Rug

Origin: Borujen District, Konark Village, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran. Author JP Willborg, an expert on this region who visited villages and interviewed residents, notes that this was an Armenian village.

Age: Around 1950, 65-75 years old.

Design: One of the most iconic Bakhtiari designs, inspired by Persian walled gardens. The design is called "Khesti," meaning bricks or tiles in Farsi, and refers to the checkered pattern. It is often referred to as "garden panel" design in English. The square panels are filled with plant and floral designs, mirroring the symmetrical and compartmentalized layout one would find in a walled garden in Iran. The squares feature cypress trees, weeping willows, flowering vases, and a wide variety of beautifully abstracted geometric floral motifs and lattices. The primary border features repeating peacocks, and a thin outer border a simplified repeating boteh. The rug would likely have been woven in a small village home with no cartoon (graph paper), based on the construction and many variations in the design.

The symbolic importance of cypress trees, called "sarv" in Farsi, dates back thousands of years and has roots in Zoroastrianism. The cypress is seen as a symbol of eternity, immortality, resilience and protection. Its tall, slender stature appears to be reaching toward the heavens. A 4,500-year-old cypress called Sarv-e Abarkuh, one of the oldest trees in the world, is located in Abarkuh, Iran.

Colors: A mix of natural plant dyes and some synthetic dyes. Several shades of bright red, deep burnt red, purplish brown, light and dark brown, indigo, natural ivory, yellow, green, gray and black.

Foundation: Cotton warp and single cotton weft.

Pile: Uniform thick pile with very high quality soft and dense wool.

Size: 5 feet 5 inches by 8 feet 5 inches.

Knotting: Symmetrical.

Condition: Very good original condition with dense full pile, all original sides and ends intact with no losses. There is one small quarter sized area of reknotting, and a 1-inch tear that has been sewn shut. There is some sun fading, mainly affecting a specific shade of burnt maroon, causing it to change on the pile side to a more brown-dominate color with slight hues of red. In my opinion it is pleasing, resulting in a more subdued and harmonious earth tone color palette.