Number 1803
Type Workshop
Material Silk
Style Geometric
Origin Tabriz
Size 321 x 237
Age 1815
Signed FABRIK RIZA 1815 .. this coup de grace is a 200+ year old PURE SILK GARDEN CARPET that’s as old as the Battle of Waterloo. The Chaharbagh Garden theme is beautifully rendered in the inimitable Safavid style, with elegant inscriptions around the border.
Back when it was made, half the world away Napoleon was still the dominant figure in Europe and the Duke of Wellington was about to experience his greatest achievement. Back then both the Ottoman Empire and the nascent USA were slave owning states, Farsi was the official language of the British Raj in India, and Japan was still 40 years away from opening up to the world.
It was last seen/sold in Chicago in 1925 .. when it was already 110 years old. And now it’s mine and is waiting for a museum or private collection to take it home for the next century.
It has seen so many empires rise and fall, witnessed some of humanity’s greatest successes and most horrifying cruelties. It’s seen men master electromagnetism and defy gravity and travel to space. Yet as AI has become an everyday thing in our society, we still believe in the magic of a flying carpet. Well how about a silk one that’s still rocking it in its third century of life?
The Nastaliq poetry around the calligraphic border reads:
خوش آمدید و من از آمدن شما خوشحال شدم
𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩.
“You don’t just buy a rug from Dr Maktabi... It’s an experience, a rich one! You learn about history, culture & art. And more importantly you feel euphoric!” Dr Siamak Abolhassani, Expert Medical Care Clinics, Victoria, Australia 🇦🇺
Hadi Maktabi and his staff provide comprehensive and thoughtful services to collectors and textile buyers worldwide. His knowledge of antique oriental rugs and textiles, including many fine offerings from the Levant, is unsurpassed. We have been loyal customers for over five years and have visited his Beirut premises. He has worked with us upon several occasions to select the exact Ottoman and Levantine pieces we wanted for our collection. You can be sure of quality and honesty when dealing with Hadi. Penelope and Timothy Hays, Just In From The East Collection, Florida 🇺🇸
To me personally there is no surprise, event or frankly anything that gets me more excited than the purchase of a treasured piece of understated artwork such as that of a proper vintage/antique carpet. The sourcing, grading and authentication of these pieces is no small task but is of the highest importance. Through the respected dealer Hadi Maktabi all that is guaranteed, and rest assured the one thing I can guarantee personally as a client is a first class service from the initial selection process till it gets delivered right to your door step. It was an undeniably special experience, with hundreds of carpets to choose from, will definitely be visiting again. Thank you dear Hadi. Habeeb Al Monawer, Kuwait 🇰🇼