Important Notice

ISFAHAN, IRAN, 20TH CENTURY

a) Handspun and handwoven cotton, natural dyes, hand painted
35 x 47 in (89 x 120 cm)

b) Handspun and handwoven cotton, natural dyes, hand painted
35.25 x 46.25 in (90 x 118 cm)

(Set of two)


Richly painted cotton textiles such as the ones in the present lot, were made in a variety of sizes, from bed covers to small coverlets. The two shown here are sofrehs or covers, and were generally used as a spread for offering food. The sofreh would be spread on the ground or on a low square table or khorsi. This was a common tradition in Iran, where people tended to sit on the floor for meals. These differ from ritual sofrehs, which were used primarily to place sacred offerings.

The format of the present lot recalls that of an Iranian carpet, with a central floral medallion surrounded by trailing plants and borders of blossoms and flowering plants. Sofreh (b) also has a double layer of corner motifs, the lower one being a Cypress tree, with birds amongst the plants. Both the sofrehs conjure up the ideal of sitting in the midst of a garden in full bloom. Synonymous with the Islamic ideal of the Paradise Garden, a popular recurrent motif in carpets, it symbolised paradise on earth and its transportation onto a floor covering illustrates the notion that all can partake of it.

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