SERAPI, Northwest Persian
9' 3" x 13' 3" Late 19th Century Price: $46,000
(High-Decorative)
A seldom seen and superbly balanced allover patterned Herati design (often called “fish design” due to the curled leaves viewed overhead resembling fish swimming in a garden pond) blankets the strawberry field with its patent rosette centered diamond, curled feathery leaves, and classical palmettes in this stand out antique Serapi. Lining its perimeter are exceptionally clearly drawn bifurcated cartouches of sage green and burnished gold so different than those more often seen bearing Kufic script. Named for the 17th-century Persian monarch who designed it, the primary border features a beautifully drawn Shah Abbas winged palmette and flame-like blossom border pattern on a ground that shifts color from champagne to green ochre to electrum without missing a beat. Its heavy-pile condition at some 130 to 150 years of age is yet another enticing characteristic of this striking, inventive antique carpet.