Old & Antique

Beautiful Rugs includes a selection of old and antique rugs (older than 100 years) that include a large area, antique Kashan, a high quality kurk wool rug (474) with a central rosette medallion that is embedded within a diamond with stylized floral motifs. And this diamond is enclosed within a bright ivory diamond that is enclosed within another diamond with a bright red field. Two pendants that enclose stylized lotuses add another complex element to the central medallion around which very intricate bright red and ivory curvilinear plant and floral designs proliferate on a dark blue field. This rug’s main border area also has six narrower borders with intricate floral patterns. This antique rug is an impressive example of the Shah Abbas rug style with its bright and intense colors used for its stylized palmettes or lotus flowers that are arranged in complex arabesque patterns that include serrated leaves and tendrils.

Shah Abbas (1587-1629) is regarded as the greatest ruler of the Safavid dynasty under whom Persia flourished. Shah Abbas set up government funded rug making workshops and schools that resulted in advancing Persian rug design to a very high level of artistic complexity and sophistication for which they have become world renowned. From this period about 300 Shah Abbas silk antique rugs are known to have survived.

Beautiful Rugs also has an antique (circa 1964) fine Persian Senneh rug available with an allover lattice red, brown and yellow floral design on a navy blue field with a large bright red diamond medallion on in an open blue area that is distinctly visible within a larger diamond highlighted in bright red. Two pedant diamonds that are darker red blend more into the rug lattice. The diamonds are geometric and the florets within them very stylized.

Please see the category of Old & Antique Rugs on the Beautiful Rugs website to find many more examples of fine Persian rugs.