These two vintage rugs from Iran feature bold colors and geometric lines, resulting in highly-stylized and original imagery. The combination of bright tones, expressive use of lines, and unusual proportions render the characters they portray a bit surreal and almost cartoon-like in their appearance, yet simultaneously giving royalty vibes.
One of the things I love about these types of village pictorial rugs from rural Iran is that they have so much charm, presenting a humble and humorous contrast to the refined and elaborate designs which are more typically found and highly valued in most Persian rugs. For me, pictorial rugs offer a visually innovative alternative in all their sincere, unpretentious glory.
The rug above highlights a woman’s face surrounded by an array of strangely-shaped flowers and various geometric forms. On the bottom right it reads 1346 (1967).
This rug depicts a woman holding something. (I’m not sure if she’s wafting incense or serving food.) Above her head the year 1346 is written (twice) in Persian numeric script (1994 in the Gregorian calendar) and on the left the name “Ibrahim” is written along with a few other names sprinkled throughout (perhaps the artist and recipients if it was given as a gift).