Antique Persian Malayer Oversize Carpet

A wool pile of asymmetric knots on a cotton foundation. The sapphire blue field displays twelve offset rows of convex cartouches in rust-red, pale green, chocolate, and ecru. Half-cartouches slip under the sides of the border. The main abrashed rust-colored strip-style border features a Caucasian ‘crab’ pattern, while the two ivory-ground minor borders showcase stylized leaves and slanted flowers. With nearly gallery proportions, this rug enhances any grand room. Very large Mahals, like this one, are extremely rare—especially in this scale—and were typically woven as special commissions rather than for speculative markets. The pattern module is rare, if not unique.