Fine Senneh Pictorial Rug on silk
231 x 145 cm (7' 7" x 4' 9")
Persia, second half 19th century
Condition: very good, good pile, both ends minimally incomplete
Warp: silk, weft: silk, pile: wool

This silk foundation but wool pile rug is exceptional in its material quality and design.
There is a small group of rugs woven in Persian workshops from the second half of the 19th century that are directly influenced by specific, and sometimes quite bizarre, interpretations of the demand and taste of the Western export market.
There was a growth in Western art depicting dogs and cats in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and this appeal of pets and related products aimed at owners is clearly seen here.
While there are a number of small rugs of this type, none are this large or of such high quality. The field repeat takes two separate images, and slightly changes each interpretation with the images being flipped or redrawn each time so in fact no two images appear to be the same.
Similar images can be seen on advertising and used in Berlin wool samplers from the late 19th century.
While the depictions of the cats are idiosyncratic, the drawing of the borders is particularly nicely handled, and can be seen as good indicators of the high quality of the workshop.