SERAPI CAMELHAIR Antique Persian Rug

A beguiling display of naively charming, folkloric designs greets the eye in this 150-year-old Serapi carpet. It was crafted with a seldom-seen camelhair ground and is an inspiring member of the 19th-century village-tradition carpet club. The creatively unfettered weavers may have come from a more nomadic weaving tradition in the nearby Caucasus region. Three “winged” palmettes ascend the field with jewel-shaped centers in rich burgundy inscribed with archaic ivory “animals.” The field pattern is a dazzling wonderland of geometric motifs that lean toward tribal inspiration. Angular blossoms emerge from exacting vinery, sharing space with gamboling horses, cherubic birds, tranquil horses, age-old ‘ashik’ guls, and other cubistic blossoms in a pleasing variety of scales, some floating free. Delicate hues of steel blue, buttercream, and celadon hues make for superbly subtle contrasts against a finely striated mocha-hued ground. The border features lyrical versions of the aforementioned palmettes in a well-loved traditional pattern named for the Safavid Shah of Iran, Abbas the Great. Superb, mostly heavier pile condition ensures that this totemic carpet will endure for many years to come.