A FINE SAFFRON YELLOW FULL TERMEH SHAWL
Kirman, Qajar Iran, 19th century

Of narrow rectangular shape, the saffron yellow fine wool ground twill tapestry woven in polychrome wools with a complex design of scrolling buti stemming from ‘antler’ diagonal branches, interspersed amidst fine and minute floral sprigs, woven in horizontal bands of varying widths ranging from 7cm to 59cm and rafu-ed (joined by invisible mending) together, the horizontal ends made of fringed plain twill-woven saffron wool, pine green reinforcing the selvedge, the lower left margin embroidered in white silk with congratulatory words in crown-like forms flanking a cartouche with a Persian nasta’liq inscription referring to a special commission and attesting to the fine design and quality of the fabric, with a string of numerals '1118', possibly a later-added, assumed date, numbered '271' in Urdu numbers, and a Nissan Gallery provenance label on reverse, 310cm x 127cm excluding the fringe.