Kerman-Laver Tree of Life design silk pile carpet

About this Piece

A tree of life design carpet based on a 20th Century Kerman-Laver original, with pure silk pile hand woven on a cotton foundation to 256 knots per square inch. 

Fruitful and peaceful life is the theme of this design taken from a very finely woven prayer rug.  The elegantly contoured white ground of the prayer niche is filled with a tree of life richly ornamented with flower stems and foliage.  Birds nest in the tree, sheep graze at the river's edge where the ducks complete the peaceful idyll, as visualised in a Persian setting of the turn of the 19th/20th century.  The same mood is expressed by the doves in the border and in the upper corners of the field.  A festive effect is given by the blue-black border which surrounds the ivory and glowing blue in the field.  This particular design from the weaving centre of Ravar is amongst the most valuable of Persian carpets. This hand knotted silk carpet represents approximately 8 months of weaving time in addition to the drafting and finishing processes.

Country of origin: Bhadohi, India
Knot Density: 256 knots per square inch
Materials: Pure silk pile woven on a cotton foundation