Handmade Antique Bakhshayesh Carpet 1890s 490 x 347cm (16.1 x 11.4ft)

This exceptional antique Bakhshayesh carpet, woven circa 1890 in northwest Iran, is a rare and highly decorative example of village artistry at its most expressive. Carpets from Bakhshayesh are admired for their bold drawing, generous scale, and distinctive individuality, and this piece captures those qualities with quiet authority.

The expansive blue field provides a rich and confident foundation for an engaging all-over design of large bush motifs. These stylised forms are arranged with measured rhythm, creating a sense of movement across the surface while maintaining compositional balance. Between them, rows of small light brown lozenges introduce structure and subtle contrast, guiding the eye naturally through the pattern.

A broad light brown geometric border frames the field with strength and clarity. Its scale anchors the design and enhances the architectural presence of the carpet, while the interplay of blue, beige, and red tones brings warmth and depth without excess.

Hand-knotted in wool and coloured with natural dyes, the carpet possesses both durability and a soft maturity of tone that only age can produce. There are areas of expert repiling and careful repairs, sensitively executed to preserve the integrity and longevity of the piece while respecting its history.

With its grand proportions, this Bakhshayesh carpet is ideally suited to a formal dining room or a spacious sitting room, where it can serve as both foundation and focal point. It is a historical textile of substance and character, offering authenticity, scale, and enduring design.