A vintage Persian Tabriz carpet, hand-knotted in wool in northwest Iran around 1940, in a grand 11’0" x 17’0" gallery scale. A deep navy field carries an allover lattice of palmettes, rosettes and scrolling vinework, and threaded through it are the animals that give the design its name: deer, hares, foxes and birds moving among the flowers.
The wide ivory-gold main border repeats the floral vocabulary in a lighter key and is framed by narrow rust-red guard stripes, so the pale border lifts the dark field rather than competing with it. The palette runs to soft rose, sage, teal and cream against the navy ground.
Hunting carpets, known in Persian as shekargah, are one of the classic court designs of Persian weaving, and Tabriz has been among Iran’s principal weaving centres for centuries. This is a hand-made, one-of-a-kind piece, woven in the traditional manner and impossible to reproduce exactly.
At this size it anchors a great room, a formal dining room or an open-plan living space. The navy ground sits beautifully against warm woods, brass and antique-white walls, and the ivory border gives the room a place to breathe. Condition is good, with wear consistent with age and use.
At a glance
- Origin: Persia / Iran (Tabriz)
- Age: circa 1940 (vintage)
- Size: 11’0" x 17’0" (132 x 204 in)
- Shape: Rectangle
- Material: Wool
- Construction: Hand-knotted pile
- Colors: Navy blue, ivory and gold
- Design: Hunting scene (shekargah), allover