Bakhtiari carpet

This Bakhtiari carpet, from the Chahar Mahal region of central west Persia, combines a princely size with a cheerful village aesthetic. With grand scale, a simple anchored medallion is drawn in the center in the manner of smaller Persian village and tribal rugs. Similarly, pairs of birds are drawn at either end in a familiar folk style. The field is formed in the shape of a large cartouche with wavy crenelated edges and filled with a network of stylized shrubs. The color is vivid, diverse, and happy. White corner pieces, formed by the contours of the field, are drawn with narrow bands of colorful geometry in the manner of flat woven kilims from neighboring Luri and Qashqai tribes. Several bands of border recall Luri variants as well, the result of the close links of the Bakhtiari with Luri groups both of the region and further south. Though the Bakhtiari were dependent on pastoral nomadism for their livelihood, these tribal people realized that, rather than sell raw wool alone at local markets, they could generate more income by selling finished objects such as rugs and carpets. This remarkable piece is a result of that ingenuity.