Story

A startling find in the early days of 2025, this museum grade Poshti rug is a piece of history. It is notable for its very rare size and double signatures. It is very, very much a historical Hadi Maktabi rug.

فرمايش سردار محتشم
سفارش محمد رضا خان

𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙎𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙧 𝙈𝙤𝙝𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙢
𝙊𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙈𝙤𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙙 𝙍𝙚𝙯𝙖 𝙆𝙝𝙖𝙣

Gholam Hossein Khan (c.1866-1950) was one of the paramount Bakhtiari chiefs of the turn of the 20th century. He rose to become Ilbegi & Ilkhani of the tribe. He played a major role in the Constitutional Revolution of 1906-9 and was subsequently dubbed Sardar Mohtasham by the Shah. He served as Minister of War and was appointed Governor of Kerman, where he presumably met and collaborated with Mo Reza.

Mohammad Reza Khan was a Qajar court official who played the fundamental crucial role as liaison between the royals and the leading Kerman carpet masters. His reputation as the nation’s leading specialist in carpet art is evident in the various high grade rugs proudly bearing his name.

Both these esteemed individuals combined on very few and very select pieces together. A famous example is a masterpiece that sold for $192,000 at @christiesinc in 2005, bearing similar signatures (https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-4642816).

The present miniature rug—unique for its size and impressive for managing to include twin inscriptions—has a delightful Millefleurs flower field that packs a powerful punch in a frankly tiny area. But that’s the charm. The purpose of such a miniature carpet was evidently ceremonial, most likely a diplomatic gift or souvenir from one of the most powerful chieftains of the day.