The classical Tabriz pattern in gold and black draws on a court tradition that goes back to the Safavid workshops of the sixteenth century, where weavers developed the curvilinear medallion system that later defined the entire idiom of Persian carpet design. A central rosette anchors the field, vine work radiates outward in measured curves, and the corners answer the medallion in quartered miniature. The pattern survives because nothing in it is wasted; every line in the drawing has a structural job.

Five weavers shared the loom for nine months to complete this 12' x 18' (366 x 549 cm) carpet. The pile is hand-spun wool drawn from highland fleeces, washed in cold river water and combed before spinning so the fibre keeps its natural length and lustre. The dyes were prepared in small copper vessels, from madder root for the gold tones and oak gall for the black, and matured for three weeks before the wool was lowered. Every knot was tied by feel against a vertical beam in India.

The composition

A deep saturated black field carries a luminous gold medallion at its centre, with vine work in softer ochre running corner to corner. The contrast between gold and black does most of the work; the secondary palette stays restrained so the drawing reads at a distance. Over the years the black will warm slightly into charcoal and the gold will deepen toward antique brass. The colour is not finished. It will keep settling.

What you are buying

Antique Tabriz carpets of equivalent scale and condition trade at international auction in the range of $40,000 to $90,000, when they appear at all. This is a new weaving in the same tradition, on the same kind of vertical loom, in the same hand-spun wool, drawn from the same pattern grammar. A carpet of this density and lineage appreciates with use rather than depreciating. The MSRP of five lakh reflects what the same piece would cost through a Western dealer; the listed price reflects direct sourcing.

The piece in a room

12' x 18' (366 x 549 cm) is the canonical scale for a formal drawing room or a long dining hall with a twelve-seat table. The black field grounds tall walls in lime wash or limewashed plaster, and the gold answers brass sconces, walnut joinery, and unlacquered hardware. The carpet expects to sit under the architecture rather than under the furniture; arrange the room around it, not on top of it.

Conservation

Rotate a half turn each spring and autumn so light and footfall age the wool evenly. Vacuum weekly with suction only, beater bar disengaged. Blot any spill immediately with a clean cotton cloth, never rub against the pile. A trained wool conservator should hand-wash the carpet every six to seven years. With this regimen the piece runs for a hundred years and outlives its first owners.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted wool on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 366 x 549 cm (12' x 18')
• Construction: Persian asymmetric knot
• Hands: 5 weavers, 9 months
• Pile: hand-spun wool, 10 mm
• Dye: vegetable, madder and oak gall base
• Origin: India

Free shipping anywhere in India. Cash on delivery available. 7-day exchange. The carpet ships crated for safe handling and the crate is worth keeping for storage or relocation.