Tabriz

Tabriz carpets set a standard for elegance and are regarded as some of the finest Persian carpets of the nineteenth century. Using an unadulterated soft palette and balancing areas of open space with extraordinarily detailed drawing, this piece is a top example of the genre. A classic Persian central medallion floats against an open light ground. Drawing is fluid and fully curvilinear—the result of a fine and exacting weave. Clusters of both paisleys and rosettes are rendered in the medallion and corner-pieces in the manner of shawls and other fine textiles but with a strong and sturdy construction. In recent years, many semi-antique Tabriz carpets have been chemically stripped and violently altered to approximate the the look of older nineteenth-century carpets. Such harsh bleaching ultimately fails to replicate the subtle qualities of genuine antique pieces. This is the real thing.

Collection of Norton Katz