5 x 7 Antique Persian Kerman Pictorial Rug 74336

74336 Antique Persian Kerman Pictorial Rug, 04'08 x 06'08.

Woven in the final decades of the 19th century, this hand-knotted wool Persian Kerman pictorial rug stands as a lyrical homage to mysticism, poetry, and divine contemplation. At the heart of the composition reclines a dervish—serene, introspective, and crowned with the calm dignity of spiritual detachment. Draped in traditional Sufi attire, he rests upon a leopard skin, a symbol of mastery over the ego and worldly instincts, as his Kashkul, or alms bowl, lies quietly beside him. Behind him unfurls a blossoming garden shaded by a weeping willow—its tender branches cascading like the verses of Hafez, as if whispering secrets of the unseen. The dervish’s posture, contemplative yet grounded, invites the viewer not into a story, but into a state of being—an inward gaze woven into wool.

Above him, winged angels hover gracefully in the spandrels, their ethereal presence a nod to celestial guardianship and the divine love that underlies Sufi cosmology. Around him, birds take flight and perch among flowering branches—symbols of the soul’s yearning for ascension, echoing the famed metaphors of Persian verse in which birds represent the human spirit’s journey toward God. Two white doves—messengers of peace and unity—rest near his shoulder, reinforcing the quiet ecstasy of the moment. Every motif, from the stylized flora to the fauna, is steeped in sacred symbolism, while the palette—wheat, wine, ivory, and indigo—radiates the glow of antique Persian dyes untouched by time.

Surrounding the central scene are cartouches of Persian calligraphy, meticulously rendered in Nastaliq script. These poetic inscriptions are likely drawn from the verses of mystical poets or aphorisms attributed to Mostaq Ali Shah and Nur Ali Shah—Sufi masters who championed divine love, simplicity, and inward purification. Each line functions as a meditative refrain, inviting reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the eternal beauty of divine truth. Within this rug, text and image are inextricably woven, just as the sacred and the sensory merge within the Sufi path. This interplay between visual and verbal creates a holistic art form where carpet becomes scripture, and pattern becomes prayer.

The weaver of this masterpiece worked not merely as an artisan, but as a spiritual transcriber—channeling devotion through each knot, each thread. The weave itself reveals an extraordinarily high knot density, affirming the technical excellence long associated with Kerman workshops. This finesse is most evident in the delicate outlining of the dervish’s face, the plumage of birds, and the rhythmic cadence of floral vines that ripple through the border like poetic enjambment. The design’s symmetry is meditative rather than rigid, conveying a quiet balance between earthly beauty and spiritual truth—a hallmark of Persian pictorial artistry.

More than a decorative piece, this antique Persian Kerman rug is a visual poem, a devotional icon, and a relic of a bygone era when weaving was an act of reverence. It conjures the legacy of Kerman’s master dyers, designers, and Sufi poets, fusing their arts into a singular expression of divine yearning. Its presence today carries the gentle weight of Persian mysticism into our modern spaces, offering not only aesthetic pleasure but an invitation—to sit beneath the metaphorical willow tree, set down our burdens, and remember the timeless wisdom of stillness.

Here is a poetic English translation of cartouche inscriptions from the rug:

Ode of the Wandering Heart

The Sultan of Love rules not with might,
But with silence deep and inner light.
His throne—a heart both still and wise,
His kingdom found in seekers’ eyes.

Upon the path where roses sigh,
A name is carved against the sky—
Ali, the lantern in the storm,
The soul’s embrace, the mystic form.

The hand may toil with humble grace,
Yet the heart abides in a sacred place.
Each thread of work, each breath, each part—
Is prayer when spun from a faithful heart.

The world is fleeting, a shadow’s dance,
A caravan in a dreamlike trance.
We journey on through dusk and dawn,
Barefoot pilgrims, here and gone.

Let the tongue with God be ever dressed,
In whispered names the soul finds rest.
What need for gold or fame or art—
When the Beloved dwells within the heart?

• Abrash.
• Hand knotted wool.
• Made in Iran.
• Measures: 04'08 x 06'08.
• There is little moth damage on the edges and backside. 
• Date: 1880's. Late 19th Century.