Number 91pon
Material Wool
Style Pictorial
Origin Gabbeh
Type Tribal
Size 169 x 114
Age 1950
Nader Shah Afshar (1736-1747) remains the great folk hero and cult legend of many Persians, especially the very proud tribespeople who consider him one of their own. He rose from humble origins to become "the last great Asiatic conqueror" and changed the fate of a whole continent in a few brief years. His portraits gained a cult following and were depicted on numerous Persian rugs, mostly urban workshop creations. It is unusual to see him (or any portrait really) on a nomadic rug such as this.
What makes it more unusual is that the carpet is woven with two opposing directions for the motifs. Nader and the lower peacock border face one way while the other three borders and the horned antelope face the other.
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