Pair of Antique Mohtasham Kashan Mats, Central Persia, Circa 1900
Intact pairs of antique rugs are uncommon and it is always nice as a dealer to be able to find a good pair of rugs. These central Persian Mohtasham Kashan mats each measure approximately 2′ x 3′ and are hence known as “mats” or “Poshtis”, a term for very small rugs.
In each rug, the ivory field is decorated with a navy medallion and framed by salmon color corner spandrels.
This pair are what one might refer to as “second generation”; i.e., circa 1900 – 1910 as opposed to the first generation of Mohtasham Kashan rugs that date to circa 1880. Later examples tend to have thicker pile, heavier weight and denser patterns. They are still among the most beautiful examples of the Persian Rug Revival Period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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