Description of Design and History
Most renowned of all the master-weavers of Qum, and among the greatest of all such master weaver of the later Pahlavi period, Rastehzadeh was unique in that his precious silk and wool masterpieces were never signed, and could be identified only by their extraordinary quality, and certain extremely subtle elements of their design, in particular the patterning of their secondary borders and guard stripes. The trefoil reciprocal in red and indigo used in the fine guard stripes of this exquisitely refined, almost austere, item is particularly associated with his decorative repertoire, and it is unlikely that any other Qum master could have created a work of such astonishing quality of knotting. A further element of Rastehzadeh’s genius is revealed in the wonderfully delicate foliate sprays which are so immaculately expressed running between the graceful boteh of the field, touched with the golden yellow that was an identifying color of his unique palette. The meticulous arrangement of the boteh in both field and main border complies with the most elevated aesthetic standards of the Pahlavi era, a composition which is quintessentially Persian in character, in which the skills of the weaver are put to ultimate test. The lovely leaf-and-rosette meanders of the side borders complete the restrained design development of this outstanding wool item with all the sophisticated visual flair one expects in works of this caliber.