Antique Agra Rug with Ardabil Design
Very finely woven with lustrous wool, this elegant antique Agra rug with ardabil design is distinguished by a centralised pattern originating from a very rare 16th century Persian Safavid rug known as the Ardabil carpet, originally woven as a pair and now conserved in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The sapphire blue background is decorated by a round central medallion with sixteen pendants and flanked by a pair of hanging lamps, the quarter of which ornate the corners. The black border contains an elaborately drawn cartouche and rosette pattern with refined corner solutions, indicating that it was expertly woven in a main workshop. The touches of ruby red complement to the jewel tones of what should be considered a masterpiece of antique Indian carpet art.