Bakhtiari carpet

The Persian script on the top middle of this Bakhtiari rug indicates that the rug is made as a special order for a government official. The word farmayesh means “in the order of”, and the respectful title of jinab jilaltmahab a’qai, meaning “His Excellency”, is usually used for high status individuals such as kings, presidents, and ministers. Furthermore the word al-saltana was used as the title of certain Muslim rulers who claimed almost full sovereignty in practical terms. In addition, the weaver writes the year, which is equivalent of (1906) and signs it with his name, preceding the word amal-i which means “work of”. Although it is difficult to read the full name of the person that the rug was made for, there is no doubt that it was made for a highly status individual from the Islamic world.