Modern Classics Persian Hunting Narrative Wool Rug by Rug & Kilim, India

Details

Description

Hand-knotted in wool, this 9x12 rug joins Rug & Kilim’s Modern Classics collection. It features an intricate 17th-century Safavid hunting … Read more Hand-knotted in wool, this 9x12 rug joins Rug & Kilim’s Modern Classics collection. It features an intricate 17th-century Safavid hunting scene with leaping stags, predators, and birds amidst lush floral vines over a midnight-black ground.

On the Design:

Reimagining the grand narrative tradition of 17th century Safavid court textiles, this piece translates classic Persian pictorial iconography into an extraordinarily detailed modern artifact. Inspired by rare court-period "Sanguszko" and hunting tapestries *Shikargah*, the layout captures a dynamic wilderness scene filled with leaping stags, prowling predators, and pheasants perched within sprawling cypress trees and flowering spiraling tendrils. The dramatic figurative action is paired with a distinct European tapestry sensibility, reminiscent of Renaissance-era Millefleurs weaving, where human scale, naturalism, and dense botanical grounding merge. Rather than relying on a traditional central medallion, the expansive field allows the pictorial narrative to unfold continuously across the canvas, enclosed by a broad border of repeating palmettes and floral scrollwork that frames the energetic wilderness within a disciplined classical border.

The palette centers on a striking, high-contrast interplay between a deep, midnight-black foundation and warm terracotta, soft ochre, sand-beige, and dusty rose-pink motifs. Micro-variations in the hand-spun wool yarns create soft abrash nuances across the dark field, giving the dark ground a rich, aged patina reminiscent of museum-grade antique textiles. The terracotta and beige hues define every animal silhouette, stag antler, and spiraling leaf tendril with remarkable graphic clarity, allowing the complex figurative scenes to pop against the dark backdrop. As ambient light shifts across the dense wool pile, the natural variations in tone bring out the intricate layers of the woodland scene, elevating the expansive canvas into a commanding, art-grade centerpiece for gallery-inspired spaces and curated private collections. The accompanying book, The V&A Sourcebook of Pattern & Ornament (V&A Museum) by Amelia Calver, is part of Volumes by Rug & Kilim. The book (SKU - B400) can be acquired independently through our bookstore.

Custom Capable:

All sizes and colors available—inquire for a quote. See less