Rare Very Fine Qum Silk Rug – 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 silk Qum rug, dating to the mid-20th Century exhibits true characteristics of a Qum revivalist approach to 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 like those seen in carpet pattern details. 16th and 17th century Persian ceilings, arches and walls which, in important buildings were invariably embellished in this way. These wonderful architectural features 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 period as is clearly the case in this striking impressive Persian Qum architectural designed silk rug.

This Persian silk Qum rug is an exceptional example of the genre. The definition of the pattern details are beautifully drawn, artistically and cleverly arranged with the bright ivory central medallion star woven with intricate details and enclosing a green patera style centrepiece surrounded by yellow framed pendants radiating from small to large, to create a large continuous medallion. This graduation of size of pendants gives a remarkable sense of movement and depth to the composition. Each pendant encloses highly detailed linked floral arabesques. The colours are wonderfully complementary with tones of blue, green, yellow coral and ivory and pale blue accompanying accent tones, all of which serve to maximise the visual beauty of the composition. The arcaded border acts as a wonderful frame to the main field composition, with the details presented in similar complementary colours, enhanced using pale blue tones between each arch.

This Persian Qum silk rug 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 an extremely talented significant master weaver, and is duly signed.

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.