(High-Decorative) One of the major allures of antique Serapi rugs is their astonishing variety, ranging from a more tribal aesthetic to the elegantly sculpted contours of more formal styles. This magnificent carpet from the fabled weaving realm of Northwest Persia offers the best of both worlds! Offering an exceedingly beautiful all-over design alternative to the more common center medallion format, a wonderland of diverse dangling and floating flowerheads spreads across the shimmery firebrick-red field. Feathery garlands in platinum and electrum hues partially encircle some of the blossoms like ancient victor's crowns. Hidden in plain sight between the larger-scale elements are pinwheel florets, ashik gul emblems, and endearing wild murghi fowl, reminding the viewer that this is a Village tradition carpet, albeit in a grand style. The border has retained the charm and geometric whimsy in a playfully interlocking Shah Abbas pattern that reads like a Mayan codex upon a hue-shifting cerulean background. A gently patinated surface of highly durable, medium-height pile exposes the glistening quality of the oily mountain wool of this piece.