Extremely Fine Qum Silk Carpet – Signed

The city of Qum is a recently established centre for the weaving of urban style rugs with workshops appearing there from around 1927 onwards. It rapidly became a significant and important centre for the creation of technically fine silk rugs and carpets, though fine wool pile rugs are also made there. The repertoire of their designs is varied, ranging from designs based on Safavid Persian traditions of the 16th and 17th Centuries, through to individual creative designs of unparalleled technical and artistic visual excellence, which can often be described as ground- breaking. The fine silk used in their rugs allows the highly skilled weavers to draw exceptional precise detail often in minute scale.

This finely woven Qum silk carpet displays an invigorating architectural design, dating to the mid-20th Century. This remarkably fine Qum silk carpet exhibits true characteristics of a Qum revivalist approach to adventurist rug design made with the best possible quality materials. The design displays an architectural pattern based on the elaborate interior decoration of a tin glazed ceramic tiled domed ceiling or interior arch. These tiles are ornately decorated in bright colours displaying traditional floral forms, similar to those seen in carpet pattern details. Fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth century lavish Persian ceilings, arches and walls were invariably embellished in this way. Historic Esfahan buildings were the primary source of inspiration. Such architectural master pieces displaying such elaborate and stunning decoration include the shah mosque 1629, Janchi mosque 1610, Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque 1618, and the Khaju bridge 1650, constructed with twenty four highly decorated arches constructed under the auspices of Shah Abbas II around 1650. All these wonderful constructions would inevitably have been used as inspiration for the weavers of exceptionally fine Persian rugs in classical times and in the finest 20th century revivalist times as is clearly the case in this striking impressive Persian Qum architectural designed silk rug.

This Persian silk Qum carpet is an exceptional example of the genre. The definition of the pattern details are beautifully and intricately drawn, artistically and cleverly arranged with the bright ivory central star woven with intricate details surrounded by offset circles of interlocking pale blue pendants radiating from small to large, to create a large continuous medallion, each pendant also enclosing extremely detailed scrolling floral tendrils. These pale blue pendants are superbly placed over a deeper blue background and are enhanced by pale saffron elements. Such a contrast serves to maximise the visual impact of the pattern details. The offset orientation of the pendants also gives a great sense of movement and fluidity to the composition. The colours are wonderfully complementary with tones of blue, green ivory and coral supported by accompanying accent tones, ivory and saffron which maximise the visual beauty of the composition. The arcaded border acts as a wonderful frame to the main field dome, with the details presented in similar complementary colours, enhanced using accent tones between each arch.

This Persian Qum silk carpet, is an exceptional example of Qum woven artistry at its best, a superlative technically fine and decorative example, which displays a style of design inspired by architectural features. There is no doubting that this Persian Qum silk rug was made by am extremely talented, experienced weaver, and is duly signed by the master weaver.

Extremely Fine Qum Silk Carpet. This piece was handwoven in Qum, Iran. For further information please contact us and our team will be pleased to assist you. All pieces in the collection are under the auspices of Essie Sakhai, one of the world’s foremost experts and collectors of fine handmade Persian rugs and carpets.