Béhague 'Vase' Carpet

Iranian carpets with a bright and vibrant blue ground are rare and coveted objects among collectors. Nicknamed after its aristocratic European owner and its design, this carpet is a beautiful example of the ingenuity and creativity of 11th-century AH/17th-century CE carpet markers from Kerman, in South East Iran. The city is renowned for the quality and inventiveness of its carpet workshops, whose work became very influential for the later carpet knotting and weaving industry in Iran.
The main field of this carpet is occupied by a simple yet visually powerful lattice-like motif of addorsed saz leaves divided into three sections of different colours disposed in alternated rows among floral scrolling. The pattern is a development of the earlier and most intricate 'Vase Carpet' designs, with leaves here coming out of palmettes, rosettes, and pomegranate-like shapes. The red-ground border presents a series of light blue floral sprouts divided by large stylised palmettes, rosettes, and pomegranates or flower buds. The final result is a carpet that combines a striking decoration with a masterful sense of colour arrangement.