Polonaise Stanford Sidekick
The order was simple: “Make the most beautiful carpets in the world!” Shah Abbasi (1571-1629 AD) demanded of the weavers in his royal workshop in Isfahan. The result was delicately knotted designs made of silk, interwoven with gold and silver thread, shimmering enchanted forests of lotus flowers, convoluted arabesques and palmettes. On the one hand, vibrant and symmetrical, like looking through a kaleidoscope, on the other, enchanted and elegant. The designs fascinated not only the Persian royalty. They also appealed to the baroque tastes of the Polish court, which then commissioned a special order. The Persian designs were joined by European motifs, and the carpets even showed the crests of the rulers. The most beautiful of these inspired Jan Kath to create his Polonaise collection. He reconstructed the colours, most of which had faded, added his own motifs, and use the antique finishes process as well as typical Jan Kath signature to add new highlights.