Qom

A superb rendition of the classical Royal Hunt design of ancient Persian tradition, magnificently expressed in a major Qum item of exceptional technical and artistic merit. The field details the Shah and his Courtiers in pursuit of various Beasts of the Chase drawn from the 16th and 17th Century animal repertoire of the Safavid Court Carpets, and allusion is made to the three ritual phases of the Hunt, namely The Search, The Chase and the Kill. The wonderfully exotic subsidiary decoration of idealised flora symbolises The Garden of Paradise which awaits the Faithful, and indeed the entire Hunt imagery is an integral part of the Paradisical theology of Sunni Muslims. The visual refinement and majestic beauty of this item stems from its superb Qum weave of very finely knotted Persian lambswool, lavishly chased with highlight accents of precious handspun Caspian silk, together with its exquisitely delicate palette of the lovely Qum dyes. An important Persian Hunting rug of regal splendour and entrancing beauty. Edges loose on one end. Pile in very good condition.