Antique Malayer carpets in the kelleh format are among the most elegant woven in late nineteenth century Persia. Traditionally commissioned to decorate the large hallways within the antique European palazzos, these are typically woven with an infinite repeat pattern of the Persianate herati motif, as this was particularly fashionable for in the West as well as within the Persian Qajar court. What sets this example apart are the exquisite tonalities of the background, counter balanced by the soft contrast with the pattern.