Silk Kashan Animal Carpet in Louvre Museum

This unique animal combat design silk Kashan rug is being curated in Louvre Museum in Paris. Like other Kashan carpets, it has asymmetrical knots. The pile, warps, and wefts of this rug is silk. It's size is 109 x 124 cm, 3' 6" x 4' 1". It was given to Luvre Museum in 1914 by Joanny Peytel. Unlike many other small Kashan rugs of Safavid era which have red background, this carpet has a dark blue background with red borders.

Many of these carpets made in the royal workshops were presented to foreign kings and emperors by Safavid kings. One of these silk carpets was given to Ottoman sultan Selim II  as a gift by Shah Tahmasp who ruled Iran from 1524 to 1576. The design of these animal carpets were not derived from the book designs, but they were rather designed by ornamentalists who were designers worked in royal design workshops called "Naghashkhaneh".

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085