Christies auction “Rugs and Carpets” 23 June 2006 in New York includes 225 lots. Among them a 17th century Isfahan carpet lot no. 200.
Selection from the preview.
All images ©Christie’s
LOT: 109
RUG NAME: Moghan rug
AGE: ca. 1900
ESTIMATE: 4,000 – 6,000 USD
SOLD: 5,760 USD
DESCRIPTION: SOUTHEAST CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1900 Lot Title A MOGHAN RUG Estimate 4,000 – 6,000 U.S. dollars Lot Description A MOGHAN RUG Southeast Caucasus, Circa 1900 Approximately 8 ft. 2 in. x 4 ft. 4 in. (249 x 132 cm.)
LOT: 110
RUG NAME: Kurdish long rug
AGE: Late 19th century
ESTIMATE: 12,000 – 18,000 USD
SOLD: 14,400 USD
DESCRIPTION: LATE 19TH CENTURY Lot Title A KURDISH LONG RUG Estimate 12,000 – 18,000 U.S. dollars Lot Description A KURDISH LONG RUG Late 19th Century Approximately 10 ft. 7 in. x 4 ft. 1 in. (323 x 124 cm.)
LOT: 141
RUG NAME: East Turkestan rug
AGE: Early 20th century
ESTIMATE: 1,500 – 2,000 USD
SOLD: 1,800 USD
DESCRIPTION: EARLY 20TH CENTURY Lot Title AN EAST TURKESTAN RUG Estimate 1,500 – 2,000 U.S. dollars Lot Description AN EAST TURKESTAN RUG Early 20th Century Approximately 6 ft. 3 in. x 3 ft. 10 in. (190 x 117 cm.)
LOT: 150
RUG NAME: Mohtasham Kashan
AGE: Late 19th century
ESTIMATE: 80,000 – 120,000 USD
SOLD: 156,000 USD
DESCRIPTION: CENTRAL PERSIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY Lot Title A MOHTASHAM KASHAN CARPET Estimate 80,000 – 120,000 U.S. dollars Lot Description A MOHTASHAM KASHAN CARPET Central Persia, Late 19th Century Approximately 13 ft. 3 in. x 10 ft. 6 in. (404 x 320 cm.) Lot Notes The city of Kashan in central Persia has been a major center of textile production since the Safavid dynasty and was an early center of sericulture. Halfway between Tehran and Isfahan, Kashan is situated in an arid, treeless and almost waterless plain. During the 16th and 17th centuries, its inhabitants, unable to make a living from the land, turned to textile production. The Afghan invasion of Persia in 1723 brought an end to most weaving centers due to unrest and turmoil with a revival of the tradition in the 19th century during the Qajar dynasty. The resurrection of handmade rugs competed with the machine made textiles exported to Persia from the West, with sophisticated workshops, such as Mohtasham, thriving. The controversial term “Mohtasham” is shrouded in mystery. Carpet legend asserts that a Hadji Mollah Mohammad Hassan Mohtasham of Kashan, a successful textile businessman, married a young woman from Sultanabad, an active weaving village at the time. Taking advantage of her knotted pile expertise, he had her weave some rugs that quickly became popular and “Mohtasham” became the preeminent workshop in Kashan (see Azadi, S.U., “Mohtasham Kashan,” Ghereh, issue 23, pp. 9-19). There is no definitive information to support this legend, but there are two known carpets signed Hadji Mollah Mohammad Hassan Mohtasham, indicating that there was an active workshop producing rugs and carpets of high quality, most of which were unsigned. The structure, highly sophisticated design, superior quality of wool and array of color of the present example illustrates the exceptional quality of carpets woven in Kashan in the late 19th century and more specifically those attributed to the Mohtasham workshop. A remarkably similar Mohtasham Kashan carpet sold in these rooms, 18 December 2001, lot 129.
LOT: 199
RUG NAME: Lenkoran long rug
AGE: Mid 19th Century
ESTIMATE: 20,000 – 30,000 USD
SOLD: 48,000 USD
DESCRIPTION: SOUTHEAST CAUCASUS, MID 19TH CENTURY Lot Title A LENKORAN LONG RUG Estimate 20,000 – 30,000 U.S. dollars Lot Description A LENKORAN LONG RUG Southeast Caucasus, Mid 19th Century Approximately 8 ft. 7 in. x 3 ft. 9 in. (262 x 114 cm.)
LOT: 200
RUG NAME: Isfahan carpet
AGE: 17th century
ESTIMATE: 50,000 – 80,000 USD
SOLD: 216,000 USD
DESCRIPTION: Description: CENTRAL PERSIA, 17TH CENTURY Lot Title AN ISFAHAN CARPET Estimate 50,000 – 80,000 U.S. dollars Pre-lot Text Property from the Flint Institute of Arts Sold to Benefit the Acquisitions Fund Lot Description AN ISFAHAN CARPET Central Persia, 17th Century Approximately 24 ft. 2 in. x 9 ft. 6 in. (736 x 290 cm.) Provenance Mrs. Marie Tabbagh, Paris, April 1947 With French and Co., New York, until sold in 1958 to Mrs. Bray and later bequeathed in 1961 Lot Notes The present lot is a distinctive example of a classic Isfahan “in and out palmette” design, the most familiar group of 17th century Persian carpets that have survived to the present day. Evidence from European inventories and depictions in paintings indicates that they were first woven in the late 16th century, becoming very prevalent in the course of the 17th century when they were extremely popular with the nobility and upper class in Europe. There are many variants of the design and differences in the structure throughout this group. Our example is noted by the delicacy and intricacy of the swirling vines, intensity and variety of dyes used, together with excellent soft wool. The guard borders are unusual with the triad of small blossoms on the same vine of a single, larger palmette. This same guard border can be seen on an very similar example formerly in a Canadian collection sold at Christie’s London, 17 October 1996, lot 404. The present lot is in exceptional condition for this type and is a magnificent testament to the extraordinary accomplishments of the Safavid court weavers
LOT: 221
RUG NAME: Bidjar carpet
AGE: Late 19th century
ESTIMATE: 18,000 – 22,000 USD
SOLD: 21,600 USD
DESCRIPTION: WEST PERSIA, LATE 19TH CENTURY Lot Title A BIDJAR CARPET Estimate 18,000 – 22,000 U.S. dollars Lot Description A BIDJAR CARPET West Persia, Late 19th Century Approximately 15 ft. 7 in. x 9 ft. 2 in. (475 x 279 cm.
LOT: 67
RUG NAME: Seychour
AGE: ca. 1900
ESTIMATE: 3,000 – 5,000 USD
SOLD: 5,040 USD
DESCRIPTION: EAST CAUCASUS, CIRCA 1900 Lot Title A SEYCHOUR RUG Estimate 3,000 – 5,000 U.S. dollars Lot Description A SEYCHOUR RUG East Caucasus, Circa 1900 Approximately 5 ft. 9 in. x 3 ft. 8 in. (175 x 112 cm.)
LOT: 77
RUG NAME: Heriz
AGE: Last quarter 19th century
ESTIMATE: 20,000 – 30,000 USD
SOLD: 21,600 USD
DESCRIPTION: NORTHWEST PERSIA, LAST QUARTER 19TH CENTURY Lot Title A HERIZ CARPET Estimate 20,000 – 30,000 U.S. dollars Saleroom Notice Pre-lot Text THE COLLECTION OF NATHAN L. HALPERN Lot Description A HERIZ CARPET Northwest Persia, Last Quarter 19th Century Approximately 17 ft. 5 in. x 12 ft. (531 x 366 cm.)