Kilim with eye dazzler design
N°
00838
Period
Circa 1850
Origin
Southern Persia
Status
Sold
Size
280 cm x 1559'2" x 5'1"
A very fine and early Qashqa’i kilim, woven in the so-called “eye-dazzler” pattern, with the flame-like elements arranged chromatically in such a way as to create three superimposed, concentric diamonds. This powerful composition is rendered even more dynamic by the skilful use of ivory, which is in finely spun cotton. The narrow empty red frame separates the pattern from the reciprocal border, suggesting it to be a centralised motif rather than an infinite repeat. We see a similar treatment in antique Anatolian rugs, it being one of the ways of differentiating the earlier examples from the later ones.