19th Century Antique Persian Joshegan Pictorial Large Carpet

A wool pile with asymmetric knots on a cotton foundation. A brigade of Qajar soldiers stands at attention in the broad ecru border, guarding the dark blue field adorned with an allover diamond-shaped leaf lattice, which encloses various rows of floral motifs. This is a very rare example, with only a handful known, all of which appear to be from the same period. The soldiers' uniforms suggest a date around 1870.