Number 637
Type Workshop
Origin Isfahan
Material Wool
Style Medallion
Size 400 x270
Age 1920
We see here the most famous and recognizable of all Isfahan designs, the Eslimi spiraling arabesques that twirl so musically around the medallion. What catches both the eye and breath is the alluring turquoise blue which is inspired by and woven in homage to the city's rich architectural history best symbolized by the blue capped domes and minarets from the Seljuk and Safavid periods. The tonality of the blue here, however, is different from later Isfahan carpet blues. It has an aura, a depth that invite the viewer in to an azure sea and loses them in its waves. The abrashed field adds to the allure and mystique and is far from flat or tepid as other blues may end up looking. This is due to the formidable vegetable dyes used in this carpet. They, and the unorthodox size, confirm this is an early (i.e. very old) Isfahan masterpiece a full generation before the establishment of the Seirafian workshops.
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