The city of Isfahan, in central Persia, rose to prominence during the 16th Century, when the Safavid ruler, Abbas the Great, made it his capital – from this period on, it served as a major centre for the arts, renowned for its school of painting, as well as for the exceptional carpets woven in its workshops, commissioned to adorn the royal courts.

This early example, dating to c. 1890, was created before the commercialisation of carpet weaving, and so boasts a more creative, charmingly naive quality, which is lacking in later examples, and a masterfully dense weave, lending a crisp clarity to its design. Its palette employs a wide range of vegetable-dyed colours, with scrolling motifs in tones of saffron, ochre red and sky blue, against an ivory ground.

Although it has a thin pile, this 19th Century Isfahan rug is retained in very good condition for everyday use, with its outer borders preserved on all sides, and its colours have taken on a wonderful age-related patina.

A characterful early weaving, with a great variety of warm, rich colours.