BAKSHAISH CAMELHAIR “TREE OF LIFE” Antique Persian Rug

Capturing the sense of sitting in the branches of a tree, only a vertical section of it is the subject of this little rug, leaving its top and emergence from the ground to the viewer’s imagination. Just as treetops catch more of the sun’s rays than the interior, “lighting” on this little sapling changes as the trunk ascends, and the color becomes subtly more glowing. Following the Bakshaish template for “Tree of Life” rugs, branches drawn with folk art naivete are stepped, outreaching, from which tiny blossoms with their notable petals sprout. In the midsection of the field, these branches are more compressed than at either end, expressing an inimitable balance between exactitude and inexactitude for which Bakshaish rugs are beloved. With its single rosette border, this little gem belongs to a rare grouping of mat-size rugs within this deeply prized style.