Bakhshaish Carpet
Northwest Persia, mid-19th century
329 x 235 cm (10' 10" x 7' 9")
Condition: good, low pile, both ends original, some small repairs and reweaves
Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool

The all-wool carpets made in the villages surrounding the town of Bakhshaish in Heriz district in northwest Persia are renowned for the informality of their designs, soft earthy palette and great decorative appeal.
Carpets such as this are the closest that there is to a tribal-style, room-sized carpet in Persia, having the individuality, spontaneous design and asymmetry desired in carpets not made in workshop conditions. The structure reflects these conditions. Lazy lines evident on the front of the rugs show how the design was built up with discontinuous weaving and wefts between two weavers, reflecting a smaller scale of production.
The lack of cotton in the warps and the use of mixed wool colours suggests that this carpet was made in a village rather than the town of Bakhshaish itself. The brown is often referred to as camel wool, but in most cases it is wool dyed with walnuts to create a brown colouring. The simple design of small flowers ascending the field has no two flowers that are exactly the same.
Published: "John Eskenazi, L'Arte del Tappeto Orientale, 1983", p. 255