Printed from Woolley & Wallis

Description

AMENDED A fine silk and silver metal thread after the 'Salting Carpet' in Safavid style, with a floral central medallion on a burgundy ground, decorated with bands of clouds, Chinese style dragons and lions, with birds and scrolling leaves and flowers, with an ivory cartouche border, each panel inscribed with Persian verses, probably c.1920-30, 193 x 132cm.

Provenance: Sir Edward George Warris Hulton (1906-1988) was a British magazine publisher and writer. He was the founder of the Picture Post which pioneered photo-journalism and in 1938 highlighted the plight of Germany's Jews. The photographic archive of Picture Post became an important historical documentary resource. He was knighted for services to journalism in 1957. Hulton was married twice, first to Kira Goudime-Lekovitsch in 1927 and then later in 1946 to Princess Nike Yourievitch.

This rug relates to the famous 'Salting Carpet', now in the V & A collection, and shares similarities in design. The 'Salting Carpet' was made during the Safavid period (1560-1580), probably in Qazwin, Iran and is inscribed with Persian poetry. In the mid-20th century scholars questioned the dating of this group of rugs and carpets and they believed them to be 19th century Turkish copies of Persian originals. But this theory has now been disproved. The 'Salting Carpet' group also relate to the famous niche prayer rugs in the Topkapi collection, Istanbul. For another example see The David Collection, Copenhagen.

For a discussion of the 'Salting group' see: Dr. John Mills, 'The Salting Group: A History and a Clarification', in Murray L. Eiland and Robert Pinner (eds.), 'The Salting Carpets, Oriental Carpet and Textile Studies', 5/2, 1999, pp.1-17.

Jennifer Wearden, 'The Riddle of the Salting Carpet', Oriental Art, 43/1, 1997, pp.21-27.