Vintage Persian Mahi Tabriz Rug, 09'10 X 12'10

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79825 Vintage Persian Tabriz Rug, 09'10 x 12'10.

The Imperial Garden: A Vintage Persian Tabriz Masterpiece of Enduring Elegance

This … Read more 79825 Vintage Persian Tabriz Rug, 09'10 x 12'10.

The Imperial Garden: A Vintage Persian Tabriz Masterpiece of Enduring Elegance

This hand-knotted wool and silk vintage Persian Mahi Tabriz rug exemplifies the meticulous precision and cultivated artistry associated with the celebrated workshops of Tabriz. Its commanding composition centers upon a concentric cusped medallion, built through successive layers of black, chocolate brown, ivory, walnut, and muted jewel tones. Silk highlights lend subtle luminosity to the intricately articulated surface, allowing select details to catch the light with understated refinement. The result is stunning masterwork whose visual richness speaks to connoisseurship, craftsmanship, and the enduring prestige of Persian decorative arts.

The majestic medallion is anchored at either end by elegant palmette pendants, creating a stately vertical axis through the exceptional composition. Palmettes evoke luxuriant vegetation and abundance within the Persian garden tradition, while the multiple scalloped contours surrounding the center suggest an unfolding blossom. Across these concentric reserves appears the celebrated Herati, or Mahi, pattern—a rosette enclosed within a diamond and accompanied by curved lanceolate leaves traditionally interpreted as fish. The iconic motif is historically associated with water, prosperity, abundance, and the perpetual cycle of life, giving the meticulous geometry a deeper symbolic resonance.

Thousands of diminutive Herati motifs extend across the field in disciplined repetition, producing the mesmerizing visual density for which fine Mahi Tabriz carpets are prized. The Persian word mahi, meaning fish, references the characteristic leaves that flank each floral center and recalls an enduring poetic interpretation of fish swimming beneath the reflection of the moon. This union of water imagery and flowering vegetation evokes the idealized Persian garden—a place of order, vitality, and spiritual harmony. The remarkable scale of the drawing creates a jewel-like surface that rewards close inspection while retaining architectural grandeur from across the room.

Enclosing the field is a distinguished Herat border, where palmettes, rosettes, curling foliage, and arabesque forms progress in measured succession. Triple floral meander guard borders provide additional layers of ornament, giving the carpet an elaborate framework worthy of its intricate interior. With its silk-accented detailing, masterful symmetry, sumptuous tonal depth, and iconic Mahi vocabulary, this vintage Persian Tabriz carpet offers the discerning collector an extraordinary masterpiece of prestigious stature—an exquisite work of art designed to bring history, artistry, and rarefied elegance into an important interior.

Abrash.
Hand knotted wool. Hand knotted silk.
Measures: 09'10 x 12'10.
Pile Height: 0.23 of an inch.
Date: 1980's. Late 20th Century. See less