Fereghan Sarouk mat

This charming mat from central Persia draws delicate floral patterns with vegetal scrolls highlighted in white against the deep almost black ground of a central diamond. The corners depict classical Persian half-palmettes executed in the style of the seventeenth century against a rare but highly successful green ground. The modeling and composition of this small mat demonstrate the complicated yet intimate relationship between Persian urban and tribal weaving; a relationship made all the more visible when this piece is compared with the woven small bags of the Qashqai and Khamseh of Southwest Persia.