Number 1037
Type Workshop
Material Wool
Style Pictorial
Origin Tabriz
Size 467 x 354
Age 1920
The craze for Persia's ancient past went viral in the 1920s as numerous archaeological excavations yielded more buried treasures. As Iran's National Museum was being set up, carpets were being woven depicting such ceramic and metalware items from millennia past and they catered to the fashionable homes of the time.
This is easily the most impressive variant of the Zirkhaki school of 'archaeological' carpets I have seen. Woven in Tabriz in the late Qajar and early Pahlavi years when a craze of Persia's pre-Islamic past took hold, it shows various excavated metalwork and ceramic treasures. Numerous European expeditions were busy digging up artifacts and objects and this lit up a fascination amongst wealthy locals that ultimately ended with the establishment of the National Museum of Iran in 1937 under the leadership of Andre Godard and the watchful eye of Reza Shah.
The scale of this chef d’oeuvre is imposing and palatial. I have not seen any other longer than 4 meters. There is no symmetry whatsoever and no repeats at all throughout the vast ivory field. We see layers of symbolism and secret characters scattered in many corners of the design. Most intriguingly, the apex of the field contains a ceramic bowl depicting the Virgin Mary holding the Infant Christ, above which is a prayer rug with mihrab arching overhead the Virgin & Child.
You can't only be a customer of Hadi Maktabi. While his main purpose is rug dealing, he starts with story telling and ends with history selling. That's what I call high-end art curating and closing it all with an entertaining friendship. George El Hani, CEO Levica, Lebanon 🇱🇧
I have been buying and collecting oriental rugs for over 40 years. As a result I have had direct experiences with many dealers and galleries throughout Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia. The Hadi Maktabi establishment is distinct and unique. It is rare to find a dealer who not only has a discerning taste and excellent choice of rugs. But with Hadi, the experience is one of an erudite oriental rug scholar paired with years of family experiences and traditions dealing in rugs, carpets and textiles. The available choices, diversity and quality of his stock is awesome. It is always a pleasure. Highly recommended and satisfying. As a collector he has become not only a partner of choice, knowledge and information but also a valued friend. Robert Bell, CEO Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust, U.K. 🇬🇧
The idea of purchasing valuable rugs and other artwork online from an overseas seller is daunting for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that, not being able to examine and feel the rug for yourself, you are never entirely certain that the origin, age or condition of the rug corresponds with the dealer’s description. For me, I could never take this step unless I had absolute trust in the integrity of the dealer, and my recent experience with Hadi confirms that my faith in him was well placed. Every detail of the antique rug expertly explained by Hadi was accurate and when I finally received the actual rug, it turned out to be even more stunning than his photos depicted. F. Alsagoff, Singapore
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