79679 Antique Persian Sultanabad Rug, 12'03 x 18'11.
An Imperial Garden: Late 19th Century Persian Sultanabad Masterpiece of Splendor
This hand-knotted wool antique Persian Sultanabad rug, woven in the Late 19th Century, embodies the majestic artistry that made Sultanabad carpets the favored choice of aristocratic estates and grand European interiors. Its luminous red field immediately commands the eye with the stately warmth associated with prosperity, power, and ceremonial prestige in Persian design. Created during the late Qajar era, this extraordinary masterpiece reflects the celebrated Sultanabad workshop tradition, where large-scale carpets were woven with a refined sense of balance and decorative opulence intended for noble residences and formal reception rooms. The experience it offers is one of cultivated luxury—an heirloom presence that transforms a room into a setting of quiet grandeur.
The exceptional field unfolds in a sumptuous allover pattern of Shah Abbas palmettes, stylized lotus blossoms, iris forms, serrated leaves, and branching arabesques that move in rhythmic harmony across the crimson ground. The Shah Abbas palmette, one of the most revered Safavid-derived motifs, symbolizes abundance, cultivated beauty, and imperial patronage. Here, the palmettes bloom in varying scales, creating a sense of depth and movement, as though one is looking into a formal Persian paradise garden at the height of spring. Interspersed lotus blossoms speak to rebirth, spiritual purity, and immortality, while the iris motifs evoke liberty and noble aspiration, lending the composition an intellectual and poetic dimension prized by collectors. The repeating floral lattice creates a seamless garden tapestry, suggesting endless renewal and a life of flourishing elegance.
What makes this Sultanabad masterwork especially compelling is the interplay of large-scale palmettes with delicate rosettes, flowering vines, and angular leaf devices. The allover composition has no dominant medallion, allowing the eye to drift luxuriously across the field in an uninterrupted visual journey. This expansive botanical arrangement was particularly admired in palace-scale carpets, where it conveyed the idea of the Garden of Paradise—a central theme in Persian decorative arts symbolizing eternal life, divine order, and worldly refinement. The rich red ground amplifies the luminous ivories, sage greens, and soft blues, creating a regal palette that feels both commanding and deeply inviting.
Framing the composition is an elegant lotus and iris border, a refined perimeter of symbolic florals that reinforces the rug’s courtly character. The lotus continues the theme of immortality and transcendence, while the iris lends an air of dignified freedom and cultivated taste. Beyond this, the meandering lozenge cruciform guard border introduces a subtle architectural cadence, with linked diamond and cross forms suggesting protection, continuity, and spiritual balance. Together, these borders create a stately enclosure around the field, much like the walls of an enclosed Persian garden. This is an exquisite work of art of rare presence—ideal for interiors shaped by English manor elegance, Baroque formality, Jacobean richness, or contemporary spaces seeking an unmistakable sense of heritage and prestige. It is not merely decorative; it is a declaration of connoisseurship.
- Abrash.
- Hand knotted wool.
- Made in Iran.
- Measures: 12'03 x 18'11.
- Pile Height: 0.13 of an inch.
- Date: 1880's. Late 19th Century.
