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36
KILIM WITH FISH MOTIF
SAQQEZ, KORDESTAN, IRAN, CIRCA 1930
Handspun and handwoven cotton warp,
wool weft, natural dyes
49.5 x 78.5 in (126 x 200 cm)
$ 3,035 - 4,550
Rs 2,00,000 - 3,00,000
Saqqez is a province in north west
Iran, largely populated by the
Kurds. This
kilim
is a fine example
of a
senna
made with the slit
tapestry weaving technique. In
the centre is the popular Herati
pattern of a double diamond. It is
filled by the classical arrangement
of a fish pattern, generally
characterised by a double fish
around a water tank or a pond. It
is surrounded by an asymmetrical
ground of floral and geometric
patterns set within multiple
narrow borders. The motifs of
the fish and water are associated
with fertility and prosperity, and
their representation on this rug
inspires those sentiments within
the space it inhabits.
35
JAHNAMAZ PRAYER MAT
ISFAHAN, IRAN, CIRCA 1930
Handspun and handwoven cotton, hand drawn and
painted, natural dyes
36 x 53 in (92 x 135 cm)
$ 1,520 - 3,035
Rs 1,00,000 - 2,00,000
This prayer mat offers a stylised
depiction of a mosque flanked by
two large domed minarets and
smaller ones in-between. A central
mihrab
or niche, represents those
in mosques which point the
devotee toward the direction of
Mecca.
The
mihrab
is filled with a field
of paisleys; similar looking but
in two different sizes, each is
comprised of tiny blue and white
flowers. Arranged in neat lines,
they face opposite directions in
each row. At the top are two
peacocks with an inscription in
Farsi that tells the devotee to
bow his head in gratitude to the
Almighty, Allah is great.
The
mihrab
is flanked by a series
of borders that allude to the
walls of the mosque. The first
is a border of a scrolling vine
with an assortment of blue and
red flowers meandering across
its length. The next consists of
Cypress trees, considered sacred
in Iran, which frames the
mihrab
,
with a line of paisleys running
across the bottom.
Depictions
of
architectural
forms are common in textiles.
Similar prayer mats made at
Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh,
are in the collection of the
Victoria and Albert Museum
(IS 1761-1883)