Antique Persian Mahal Oversize Carpet

A wool pile of asymmetric knots on a cotton foundation. A compact, small-scale allover Herati pattern covers the rust-red field, in sharp contrast to the ultra-large-scale strip-style sand border with a giant repeat of reversing turtle palmettes, accompanied by ragged rosettes and smaller ragged palmettes. This monumental carpet was almost certainly a special order for a particular export client’s space rather than an off-the-peg, speculative endeavor. The contrast between the delicate field and the emphatic border is exceptional.