Lot 173

A PERSIAN RUG SAROUK

Hand knotted high quality wool carpet on cotton warp, a masterful work belonging to the revival of Persian urban carpets. The Sarouk region was particularly famous for the production of floral carpets for export to the USA between about 1914 and 1940, and this famous category of Persian carpets is still known as 'American Sarouk' or 'US Sarouk'. The market for these iconic pieces was spawned in part by the need to export luxury carpets outside of warring Europe, and just as the onset of World War I in Europe affected production in Persia, the definitive end of the American Sarouk era was eventually brought about by the onset of World War II in 1939. This unique type of Persian carpet has gained a reputation for its impeccable technical workmanship, high quality natural colours, attractive design and, last but not least, its thick and lustrous highland wool of unusual quality. It is worth mentioning that our specimen is in the highly desirable sang-de-boeuf (bull's blood) colour.