WEST PERSIA, CIRCA 1890

The elaborate design of the present lot takes its inspiration from the so-called Schwarzenberg 'Paradise Park' carpet, first published in the 'Vienna Book', Orientalische Teppiche, Vienna, 1892-96, plate 41, and today in the Museum of Islamic Art, Doha. The design features a central medallion flanked by pendants in a field populated by cypress trees, mythical creatures and intricate foliage. Persian literature and art has long referenced the idea of heaven on earth, where a garden with water would bear lush plants and trees, often alongside animals both mythical and real. Two complete examples of similar “Paradise Park” carpets include the Mackay carpet in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Mantes carpet in the Louvre, France.