A beautiful antique Kerman rug from the 1930s — hand-knotted in the finest Kork wool in the most elegant and restrained format in the Kerman repertoire: the open field medallion, in which a vast plain crimson ground is interrupted only by a single large cusped medallion and its pendant, creating a composition of extraordinary visual calm and luxury.
The deep crimson/ruby red field is largely open — the red ground uncluttered, breathing, almost meditative — with the drama concentrated entirely in the large cusped medallion floating at the center: a multi-lobed ivory form outlined in dark, its interior filled with a delicate floral scroll in sky blue, pale pink, olive green, and gold on an ivory ground — small open flowers, curving vine stems, tiny leaf forms — rendered with the extraordinary fineness that defines the Kerman Kork wool tradition. Below the medallion, a teardrop pendant in ivory and pale blue tapers to a point, tipped with a small pink floral ewer motif — one of the most elegant single motifs in the Kerman repertoire, floating on the plain red field with quiet authority.
The pile is the defining physical quality of this rug: the characteristic Kerman Kork wool — the finest grade of wool, from the underbelly of the sheep — with a distinctive velvet-like sheen visible in raking light. The crimson field is dense, lustrous, and even; the ivory medallion detail is crisp and full. This is the tactile quality that separates Kerman from every other Middle Eastern workshop tradition.
The border system is a masterpiece of layered precision: a wide ivory/pale blue inner sub-border carrying a continuous light floral scroll in sky blue, pale pink, and gold — airy and elegant; framed by multiple narrow guard strips in pink, navy, and ivory; and an outer deep navy main border carrying an elaborate arcade composition — large ivory pointed arch forms (drawing on the muqarnas and mihrab vocabulary of Islamic architecture) with sky blue floral fills on the navy ground, repeating in a bold, graphic rhythm around all four sides.
At 237 × 302 cm (7’9” × 9’11”), this is a generous room-size rug — large enough to anchor a living room or dining room — in a format and quality that is increasingly rare as the supply of genuine 1930s Kerman Kork wool pieces diminishes.
❖ Condition
Good antique condition with some signs of age (c. 1930s — approximately 90 years old). Field and medallion in very good condition — pile full, dense, and lustrous; Kork wool sheen intact. Border shows some pile variation consistent with age; ivory arch forms and sky blue fills remain vivid and well-defined. Colors vivid throughout — crimson red saturated and even; navy deep and rich; no significant fading. Fringe present, somewhat uneven and tangled; intact. No catastrophic damage; lies flat.
❖ Specifications
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Origin: Kerman — southern Middle East
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Age: Circa 1930s (antique — approximately 90 years)
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Material: Kork wool pile on cotton foundation
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Technique: Hand-knotted workshop — asymmetric (Persian) knot — fine density
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Dimensions: 237 × 302 cm / 7'9" × 9'11" — room size
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Design: Open field medallion — large cusped ivory medallion with delicate interior floral scroll; teardrop pendant with pink ewer motif; plain crimson field
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Field color: Deep crimson/ruby red — open, largely plain
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Medallion: Ivory/pale blue — cusped multi-lobed outline; sky blue, pink, gold interior floral scroll
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Inner sub-border: Wide ivory/pale blue — light floral scroll in sky blue, pink, gold
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Outer main border: Deep navy/indigo — ivory arcade/arch forms with sky blue floral fills
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Guard borders: Multiple narrow strips — pink/salmon, dark navy, ivory meander
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Colors: Crimson red, deep navy/indigo, ivory/cream, sky blue/pale blue, pale pink/salmon, olive green, gold
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Pile: Kork wool — full and lustrous in field and medallion; some variation in border
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Fringe: Ivory wool — present, uneven
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Condition: Good antique — field and medallion very good; border some age wear; colors vivid
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SKU: 1C1280
