A NEAR PAIR OF QASHQAI MILLEFLEURS PRAYER RUGSSOUTH PERSIA, CIRCA 1900A NEAR PAIR OF QASHQAI MILLEFLEURS PRAYER RUGSSOUTH PERSIA, CIRCA 1900Overall excellent condition7ft.10in. x 4ft.10in. (240cm. x 148cm.); 7ft.7in. x 4ft.11in. (230cm. x 150cm.)The ‘niche and millefleurs’ design of these prayer rugs takes its cue from Mughal pashmina carpets, such as the examples in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and in the Österreichisches Museum fur Angewandte Kunst, Vienna (Daniel Walker, Flowers Underfoot: Indian carpets of the Mughal era, New York, 1997, pp.131-2). A pair of cypress trees and spandrels in the top half create a niche which frames a vase overflowing with flowers. Likely woven in Kashmir in the eighteenth century, those carpets were in turn inspired by the ‘niche-and-flower’ carpets which date from the reign of Shah Jahan (r.1628-58). The present lot attests to the transmission of this design from India to Persia, to be taken up by weavers from the semi-nomadic Qashqa’i confederation in Fars province. As well as being unusual as an almost-perfectly matched pair, almost certainly woven contemporaneously in the same atelier, these carpets have a well-documented provenance. They were owned by Amir Lashgar Mahmoud Ayrom (1881-1933, see illustrations). The maternal grandfather of the present consignor, he was a decorated general in the Cossack Brigade and a close ally of Reza Shah (r. 1925-41). He was married to Ozra Ayromlu, cousin of Tajelmolouk Ayromlou, Queen of Persia 1921-1945 through her marriage to Reza Shah. The pair of rugs then passed by descent to the present owner. A Qashqa’i prayer rug woven to a similar design and dated AH 1309/ 1891-92 AD was sold in these Rooms, 10th April 2008, lot 98. A further comparable rug is published by Eberhart Herrman, Von Konya bis Kokand, Seltene Orientteppiche, III, Munich, n.d., p.151, no.90. For a further example of a nineteenth-century interpretation of this classic design, see lot 199 of the present sale.细节 A NEAR PAIR OF QASHQAI MILLEFLEURS PRAYER RUGSSOUTH PERSIA, CIRCA 1900Overall excellent condition7ft.10in. x 4ft.10in. (240cm. x 148cm.); 7ft.7in. x 4ft.11in. (230cm. x 150cm.) 来源 Amir Lashgar Mahmoud Ayrom (1881-1933) from whom they passed by descent to the present owner 注意事项 This lot will be removed to Christie’s Park Royal. Christie’swill inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. Our removal and storage of the lot is subject to the terms and conditions of storage which can be found at Christies.com/storage and our fees for storageare set out in the table below - these will apply whether the lot remains with Christie’s or is removed elsewhere.Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Christie’s Park Royal. All collections from Christie’s Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only.Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com.If the lot remains at Christie’s it will be available for collection on any working day 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.Lots are not available for collection at weekends. This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice. The USA prohibits the purchase by US persons of Iranian-origin “works of conventional craftsmanship” such as carpets, textiles, decorative objects, and scientific instruments. The US sanctions apply to US persons regardless of the location of the transaction or the shipping intentions of the US person. For this reason, Christie’s will not accept bids by US persons on this lot. Non-US persons wishing to import this lot into the USA are advised that they will need to apply for an OFAC licence and that this can take many months to be granted.