Antique Persian Yazd Silk Textile With "Tree of Life" Embroidery - Rug & Kilim

Details

Description

Handwoven in all silk and originating circa 1880-1890, this 4x6 textile is an exceptionally rare late 19th-century work. It stands … Read more Handwoven in all silk and originating circa 1880-1890, this 4x6 textile is an exceptionally rare late 19th-century work. It stands as a pinnacle of Persian craftsmanship, uniquely distinguished from other Yazd works of the period by its pure silk construction and its remarkably modern, minimalist aesthetic.

On the Design:

This antique Yazd textile presents a hauntingly beautiful, minimalist meditation on the “Tree of Life,” centered by a monumental cypress tree motif that seems to vibrate against its earthen ground. The cypress—a sacred sentinel of eternal life—is rendered with a bold, graphic soul, its edges softened by the ethereal, feathered linework of the Ikat style.

This technique creates a shimmering, "bleeding" effect at the margins of the design, evocative of a memory surfacing through the passage of time.

The composition is a poetic study in balance: the fiery, sun-drenched red of the central tree commands a powerful verticality, while the flanking borders offer a rhythmic, shimmering symmetry in charcoal and silver-grey. Unlike the ornate, dense florals typically born of the Yazd looms, this piece embraces negative space and elemental forms, allowing the natural luster of the silk to provide a luminous, painterly depth.

It is a rare marriage of spiritual symbolism and sophisticated restraint—a labor of love that translates the grandeur of the Persian landscape into a quiet, sophisticated masterpiece of textile art.

Condition:

This antique Persian rug further enjoys very good condition for its age and origin—intended for wall-hanging purposes as a tapestry only. See less