Tabriz Round Carpet
Northwestern Persia
13.0 diameter
Wool and silk pile of symmetric knots on a cotton foundation
Round and oval rugs are made on regular rectangular looms, with the excess, unknotted parts of the warps removed to create a physically round carpet. The Tabriz weavers seem to have made a specialty of this in recent years. The ecru field is focused by a pink and off-white nested octofoil set within a larger pink and cream eight pointed medallion decorated with vases and palmettes.  The surrounding cream field shows a very thin vinery, elaborate petal palmettes, coiled racemes and various fantastic blooms. The rose-pink main border shows palmettes and roses.  Doubled racemes bind it to the narrow inner border and the equally broadly scalloped outer border shows more crazy palmettes.