FERAHAN SAROUK, Northwest Persian
9' 0" x 11' 5" Late 19th Century Price: $35,000
(Connoisseur-Caliber)
In excellent condition with heavy pile at more than 130 years old, this luxuriant Ferahan Sarouk is a unique, transitional link between earlier 19th-century examples and the 20th-century Mahajiran style to come. It offers a tremendous level of refinement, with the overall floral motifs becoming an expansive dreamlike structure drifting through the gently rippled “pool” like a technicolor oceanic forest. Feather and fan-shaped fronds emanate from vase-like botanical structures at the top and bottom of the field, becoming an exuberant exploration of myriad floral types rendered with masterful exactitude and majestic symmetry. Chiseled, realistic floral designs bejewel the field’s perimeter with surprising blossom sprays and bouquets that beg the passerby to become enchanted by the artistic chemistry. The viewer falls under its spell and is immediately transported away from the cares of the world. Every element glows with expressive, potently euphoric color juxtapositions of black cherry, jungle green, metallic sapphire, illumined rose, and cinnabar with expertly applied chiaroscuro shading every form to create a sublime, one-of-a-kind example of textural art manifested upon the loom by a master weaver long ago. This superbly crafted carpet radiates a jewel-like quality through a luminous surface constructed of top-grade mountain wool.