Antique Corridor Carpet, Bakhtiari Tribes, The Chahar ...

Item Ref
BM/JS5

This carpet is just amazing!
Made especially for a wide corridor by Bakhtiari tribes in the Chahar Mahal region of western Persia, the carpet comprises an ivory ground with a myriad of small scarabs throughout. The main border is in stunning, natural, petrol-blue, also depicting a scarab symbol and surrounded on both sides by beautiful golden-yellow minor borders.
Made circa 1880, this amazing carpet retains its original brocaded ends and is in excellent pile overall with no restoration whatsoever.
Size: 4.06m x 1.82m (13' 4" x 6' 0").
£6,500

Antique Bakhtiari Carpet, The Chahar Mahal, Western ...

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BM/SJ2

What I love about this stunning carpet is the fantastic, mid-blue main border which powerfully frames the madder-red ground. The border contains a continuous vine-leaf pattern, symbolising the eternal cycle of life.
The carpet was made during the last quarter of the nineteenth century and is in good overall condition.
Size: 3.00m x 2.22m (10' 0" x 7' 3").
£4,500

Antique Wheat-Sack ('Tacheh'), Luri-Bakhtiari Tribes, The ...

Item Ref
BM/RP1

This stunning 'tacheh' or wheat-sack was once used for containing wheat but has now been opened-up to show the complete weaving for wall-hanging purposes. Made by Luri-Bakhtiari nomads in the Chahar Mahal region of western Persia circa 1900, the tacheh contains a central, knotted-pile bottle-shape in the centre and what appears to be a large red/green flower. Each tacheh has a different knotted-pile design which relates to the family that made it. The last woven tachehs survived into the 1940s but when plastic sacks and gunny sacks arrived in the bazaars of Iran from the West, there was no longer a need to make them! This one and the others on my website are amongst the last remaining survivors of this lost art.
Size: 1.04m x 1.07m (3' 5" x 3' 6").
£1,750

Antique 'Tacheh', Wheat-Sack, Luri-Bakhtiari Tribes, The Chahar ...

Item Ref
BM2106

Wheat-sacks or 'tachehs' in Persian, were used, as the name implies, for containing wheat. Most antique tachehs today have been opened up in order to display and show the complete sack as it would have been made. This is one of my favourites, just recently found in Iran as many antique tachehs are now few in number due to their hard use and then simply been discarded.
These tachehs are what remains of pre-commercial utilitarian bags, made for the nomads own use and never intended for sale. Today, they are virtually gone although a few turn up from year to year.
What I love about this tacheh is the plain, natural-dye aubergine, knotted-pile bottle-shape in the centre of a simple plain-weave background. Tachehs like this one make spectacular wall-hangings and show a lost tribal art at its best on the wall.
Size: 97cm x 97cm (3' 2" x 3' 2").
£1,250

Antique 'Tacheh' (wheat-sack), Luri-Bakhtiari Tribes, Western Persia. ...

Item Ref
BM2015

Wheat-sacks or 'tacheh' as they are known in Persian, were used, as the name implies, for containing wheat - an important ingredient in the making of bread amongst the Persian nomadic tribes.
Antique tachehs like this one, which dates to circa 1900, are now rare as most have been used and abused and then literally thrown away. The nomads had no idea how collectable their everyday utilitarian weavings would become, otherwise I'm sure they would have preserved many of them.
With this tacheh, and all tachehs, the central bottle-shape is in knotted-pile over the plain-weave background, with a woven design filtering from the very top into the top of the knotted-pile section. I believe this symbolically represents the wheat being poured into the container and is thus, the bounty of God. One side of the plain-weave is generally more decorated than the other side. I believe this symbolically shows the bare earth on the right side and the growth of wheat on the left side.
This tacheh has been opened up for wall display purposes. These look amazing on the wall - woven works of tribal art!
Size: 1.06m x 0.97m (3' 6" x 3' 2").
£950

Antique Bread Sofreh, Luri-Bakhtiari Tribes, The Chahar ...

Item Ref
BM2092

I love the powerful side borders which appear to float under the white cotton field of this stunning bread sofreh. Woven by Bakhtiari tribes in the Chahar Mahal region of western Persia during the early 20th century, the purpose of this handsome sofreh was to knead the dough to make the bread. Apart from the white cotton field, the rest of the natural colours are woven in wool and
Size: 1.09m x 0.90m (3' 7" x 3' 0").
£750

Bakhtiari 'Khan' Rug, Bakhtiari Tribes, The Chahar ...

Item Ref
BM1792

This rug can only be described as magnificent.
Made for a Bakhtiari Khan around 1880, the rug is very finely knotted indicating that it was given to the most experienced weaver within the tribe. The typical Bakhtiari compartmentalised design is beautifully drawn - not busy as seen in later examples of village Bakhtiari work.
The vegetable colours too are just stunning with gorgeous shades of golden yellow and rich green combined with madder-red and indigo-blue.
When it was made, the pile was cut short to accentuate the clarity of design and today, the overall condition is very good, evenly-low pile throughout.
Size: 1.68m x 1.37m (5' 6" x 4' 6").
SOLD

Antique Gabbeh, Lor - Boyer Ahmadi Tribe, ...

Item Ref
BM987

Here is a truly fabulous gabbeh made by the Boyer Ahmadi Lor tribe around the last quarter 19th century. The rug is full of symbolic representation and a delifghtful array of small stylised birds and animals. I love the little tribal woman in the centre with short legs!
Gabbehs are now rare. They were used and I suppose abused, in tribal life as everyday floor rugs and for wrapping up children during the cold winter nights, thus few have survived.
Size: 2.24m x 1.37m (7' 4" x 4' 6").
SOLD

Antique Bakhtiari Rug, Sheikh Chupan Area, Chahar ...

Item Ref
BM/RP

This magnificent rug was made by Bakhtiari nomads, settled around the area of Sheikh Chupan in Chahar Mahal Province, western Persia around 1890-1900. The stunning indigo-blue field contains a myriad of cypress trees in a 'ghab' or compartmentalised design.
The rug is in excellent condition with a wonderful array of vegetable colours. Particularly powerful and attractive is the main border containing a design of interlinking vines, more commonly found on Caucasian rugs.
Size: 2.13m x 1.42m (7' 0" x 4' 8").
SOLD

Antique Luri Tribal Rug, Boyer Ahmad Tribe, ...

Item Ref
NM/RA2

The deep indigo-blue ground of this handsome tribal rug is covered in a myriad of many different stylised creatures! It would keep the future owner occupied for days, even months, trying to figure out what animals and birds exist within! Made by the Boyer Ahmad Lur tribes in south-western Persia circa 1870-1880, the rug is in very good overall condition, albeit the top outer minor border has had a we-weave sometime in the past, but expertly done it can hardly be seen. The ivory border, which frames the deep-blue field, is covered in tiny 'botehs' - symbolic flame symbols from the Zoroastrians. A truly magnificent rug.
Size: 3.00m x 1.55m (9' 10" x 5' 1").
SOLD

Bakhtiari Tribal Rug, Bakhtiari Nomads, Western Persia. ...

Item Ref
BM/SRB

Rugs of the nomadic Bakhtiari are rare. Most of the Bakhtiari rugs in todays market-place were made in villages in the Chahar Mahal region of western Persia around 1880-1920.
This charming rug, with its abrash of natural colours and a wealth of stylized people and animals, speaks nomadic tribal! Made during the third quarter of the nineteenth century, it has evenly-low pile all over but without any restoration and the attractive golden-yellow border frames a field of tribal life.
I have spent a long time looking at the rug and just trying to fathom out what the weaver was maybe hoping to tell us about her life in the Bakhtiari! It's a rug that will give hours of pleasure - more so than a painting - where it can either be hung on the wall and enjoyed, or simply used on the floor in a quiet place. I hope I can enjoy it for a bit longer before it is snapped up by a discerning connoisseur of truly tribal works of art!
Size: 2.00m x 1.04m (6' 7" x 3' 5").
SOLD

Antique Bakhtiari Rug, The Chahar Mahal, Western ...

Item Ref
BM2047

This beautiful 'tree-of-life' rug, with its beige/soft-yellow ground, was made by Bakhtiari tribes in the Chahar Mahal region of western Persia circa 1900.
The large urn has a tree or bush emanating upwards and outwards with two doves sitting on the branches and surrounded by a powerful and most attractive main border. If I am not mistaken, I would say that there is a very subtle depiction of a peacock on the very top of the tree?
In excellent overall pile, this is an extremely fine and elegant rug.
Size: 1.93m x 1.53m (6' 4" x 5' 0").
SOLD