A fine antique Kashan rug from the 1920s — hand-knotted in the great workshop tradition of Kashan, central Middle East, in the most celebrated format in the Kashan repertoire: the central medallion with allover floral field on a deep crimson ground, with navy spandrels and a navy-ground main border.
The central medallion is the visual heart of the composition — a large multi-lobed form in deep navy/indigo with an ivory center bearing a sky blue cross-star with internal floral detail in red, pink, and gold; surrounded by a pendant surround with pointed extensions top and bottom, outlined in ivory against the navy body, transitioning sharply to the crimson field. The precision of the medallion drawing — the clarity of the ivory outline, the internal floral detail, the symmetry of the pendant extensions — is the mark of a master Kashan cartoonist working at the height of the tradition.
The crimson field surrounding the medallion is covered in a continuous floral scroll of extraordinary density and variety: large multi-petalled open flowers (dahlias, peonies) in blue, ivory, pink, and gold; tulip forms in blue and red; palmette forms in navy and ivory; serrated leaves in olive green and dark navy; small rosette fillers in blue and ivory. The four corners carry deep navy spandrels filled with the same floral vocabulary — creating the classic Kashan medallion-and-corner composition in which every element of the field is in dialogue with every other.
The border system is a masterpiece of the Kashan workshop tradition: a wide navy-ground main border carrying a continuous ivory arabesque and palmette scroll — large ivory arabesque forms with internal red and gold floral detail, navy palmettes outlined in ivory, red rosette accents — framed by sky blue inner guard borders with a small floral rosette and vine scroll, and ivory outer guard borders with a small floral meander. The sky blue guard borders are vivid and exceptionally well-preserved.
At 283 × 384 cm (9’3” × 12’7”), this is a full room-size antique rug — large enough to anchor a formal dining room or living room — carrying the color depth, the design authority, and the patina of 100 years.
❖ Condition
Good antique condition with some low pile (c. 1920s — approximately 100 years old). Colors vivid throughout — crimson field saturated and well-preserved; navy deep and rich; sky blue guard borders bright; ivory elements clean; no significant fading. Pile uneven — some areas full, others reduced with age and use; the central medallion area shows the most significant pile reduction with some foundation visibility in the center — the design remains fully legible. Small minor spot in field (lower area). Honest antique condition — priced to reflect the pile wear. No catastrophic damage; the rug lies flat and presents well.
❖ Specifications
-
Origin: Kashan — central Middle East
-
Age: Circa 1920s (antique — approximately 100 years)
-
Material: Hand-spun wool pile on cotton foundation
-
Technique: Hand-knotted workshop — asymmetric (Persian) knot — fine density
-
Dimensions: 283 × 384 cm / 9'3" × 12'7" — full room size
-
Design: Central medallion with pendant surround; navy corner spandrels; allover floral scroll field — dahlias, peonies, tulips, palmettes, serrated leaves, rosette fillers
-
Field color: Deep crimson/lacquer red
-
Medallion: Deep navy/indigo — ivory center with sky blue cross-star
-
Spandrels: Deep navy/indigo — allover floral scroll
-
Main border: Deep navy ground — continuous ivory arabesque and palmette scroll
-
Guard borders: Sky blue inner (floral rosette scroll); ivory outer (small floral meander)
-
Colors: Crimson red, deep navy/indigo, sky blue, ivory/cream, olive green, pink/salmon, golden yellow
-
Condition: Some low pile — most significant in central medallion area; colors vivid; no major repairs visible; honest antique wear
-
SKU: 1C1279
❖ Why It’s Special
Two things define this rug’s collecting value. The Kashan medallion-and-corner composition — the most celebrated and enduring format in the entire Middle Eastern rug canon, perfected in Kashan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries — is executed here with the precision and design authority of the 1920s golden period, when Kashan workshops were producing some of the finest hand-knotted rugs in the world. The color palette — deep crimson field, navy medallion and border, sky blue guards, ivory arabesque — is the most classic and commercially enduring Kashan color relationship, one that works in traditional, transitional, and contemporary interiors with equal authority. The low pile in the medallion center is honestly disclosed and reflected in the price — making this an accessible entry point into genuine antique Kashan quality for a buyer who prioritizes design and color over pristine condition.
