Handwoven Carpet, All-over Layout, All Silk, Qom, 100 × 158 cm Ref 10100168

In the art of Qom carpet weaving—where every warp and weft is interlaced with centuries of heritage—there has emerged a rug that goes beyond decoration to hold a pictorial narrative of Iran’s ancient legends within its fabric. This captivating piece measures 100 × 158 cm (3'3" × 5'2") with an area of 1.58 m² (17.01 ft²), and is woven at about 8,600 knots/dm², a testament to elevated artistry and the weavers’ skill. In this all-over composition, a majestic scene of “Bahram Gur with his concubine” is depicted through hunting scene motifs—an amorous, eventful tale rooted in the depths of the Shahnameh and Iranian mythology, now revived upon a golden silk ground. Bahram Gur, the fifteenth shahanshah of Iran from the Sasanian dynasty, succeeded his father Yazdegerd I in 421 CE. Scenes of the hunt, galloping horses, and the concubine’s enigmatic gaze are brought to life with exemplary mastery amid intricate, harmonious motifs, as if time has paused in this rug to invite every viewer on an imaginative journey. Verses from this story in Nizami’s Haft Paykar are also inscribed in the small border. The golden field—an emblem of splendor and light—paired with a cream border, creates a warm, noble, and radiant palette that lends a regal presence to the piece. Silk, with its natural luster and unmatched softness, not only heightens visual beauty but also imparts a living, dynamic quality to the rug that seems to change in spirit with the light. This handwoven rug from Qom offers an unparalleled display of Iranian taste and artistry, telling a story woven into its very threads—a tale of love, courage, beauty, and power that generations have heard, now set upon the earth in enduring form.