A Tabriz carpet of Ardabil design North West Persia 716cm x 440cm

A Tabriz carpet of Ardabil design North West Persia the rich madder field of flowering vines and spiralling tendrils centred by an ivory medallion with hanging lamp pendants, framed by a dark blue border containing pistachio and madder cartouches, 716cm x 440cm Footnotes: The Ardabil carpet: The original carpet (now on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum) was made in the town of Ardabil in north-west Iran. It was here that Sufi leader, Shaykh Safi al-Din Ardabili, (ancestor of Shah Ismail, founder of the powerful Safavid dynasty) was buried. Edward Stebbing, a British carpet dealer, bought the carpet then resold the piece to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1893 for £2000. Designer William Morris advised the museum in the acquisition and said that the carpet was of 'singular perfection ... logically and consistently beautiful.' The central medallion is said to resemble the interior of the dome of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan. The two differently sized lamp motifs are now seen as an early use of graphical perspective. Some have suggested that when viewed from the end with the smaller lamp the two appear to be the same size. However there are some historians who argue that that there is no clear proof that graphical perspective was used in Iran during that period. Other historians and critics suggest that the carpet acted as reflection, and that the lamps mirror those hanging from the ceilings of mosques and shrines of the time. Today in the Victoria and Albert Museum the carpet is displayed in the Jameel Gallery. The lights above the carpet are turned on for only ten minutes on the hour and half hour. This not only highlights the fragility of such a piece but adds to the drama and sense of theatre when viewing it. Please note that this lot is subject to the US embargo on the import of carpets of Iranian origin as of 06.08.2018 This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TP TP Lot will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com