Antique Afshar Sofreh

Period: Late 19th Century
Origin: Iran
Dimensions: 130 x 130 cm

This rare late 19th century Afshar Sofreh highlights a powerful and rhythmic composition featuring a striking series of nested, saw-tooth geometric bands and minimalist tribal diamond motifs. This structural balance between the prominent deep indigo field complete with its horizontal terraced red and petrol-blue stepped reserves, surrounding multi-striped narrow borders, and flat-woven squarish format reflects the pinnacle of traditional Persian nomadic fine craftsmanship world-renowned for its utilitarian art, graphic clarity, and modern abstract appeal. Textiles of this antiquity are celebrated for their ability to blend highly expressive tribal design narratives with a bold, archaically balanced pattern rhythm.

The color palette is masterfully balanced featuring a primary deep indigo-blue canvas contrasted by saturated madder-red, muted petrol-greenish blue, and delicate ivory brocaded accents that allow small floating diamond motifs to step forward dynamically. These rich and enduring tones achieved through the expert application of natural vegetable dyes over 130 years ago exhibit a characteristic gentle patina, soft historic abrash, and an organic wool flat-weave texture that are hallmarks of the finest late 19th century Persian Afshar tribal productions. The fine woven framing borders featuring continuous striped and checkered edges create a functional and visual boundary that highlights the superior hand-spun wool quality and distinctive technical finesse of the weaver.

Structural analysis indicates the use of premium hand-spun wool with a characteristically resilient flat-weave (kilim/sofreh) technique with supplementary weft patterning, giving it a light, supple, and flat handle tailored for authentic tribal utility and ceremonial dining. The exceptional clarity of the bold geometric outlines, specifically the perfectly balanced symmetry of the terraced inner layout and delicate floating lozenges, definitively distinguishes this antique masterpiece as an authentic late 19th century Afshar Sofreh production. Ultimately, this decorative textile stands as a premier example of classical Persian nomadic art representing a peak in both technical endurance and graphic majesty for global collectors.

Stock No: 6598

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