Gray Antique Tribal Paisley Pattern Mid 19th Century Persian Bakshaish Rug

$8,800.00

Originating from the oldest rug weaving village in the Heriz district of Iranian, the iconic antique Persian Bakshaish rugs are the "intellectuals" of the tribal weaving world. While neighboring Persian Heriz Serapi rugs are known for their bold, rectilinear geometries, the 19th-century Bakshaish is celebrated for its artistic daring and "folk-art" sensibility. This specific piece, dating to the mid-1800s, represents the golden era of the region’s production—a time when weavers worked without paper patterns, relying instead on ancestral memory and creative intuition. The field is populated by a rhythmic, all-over arrangement of the Boteh—the ancient Persian precursor to the modern paisley. In the hands of a Bakshaish weaver, this symbol (which represents a flame, a sprouting seed, or a cypress tree) is rendered with a charming, hand-drawn irregularity.