Lot 276: A LARGE PERSIAN QALAMKARI BLOCK-PRINTED COTTON TEXTILE WALL HANGING, QAJAR, DATED AH 1333

This antique Persian Qalamkari block-printed cotton textile is designed as a prayer mat or decorative wall hanging. The piece is hand-printed on a cream cotton ground using a color palette of mauve, ochre, and black. The central composition features a large arched mihrab containing a prominent elongated buta or paisley motif amidst a dense field of floral arabesques and scrolling vines. The base of the central niche is flanked by two inward-facing peacocks, while the lowermost register depicts two prowling tigers. The upper spandrels are decorated with anthropomorphic sun-faces featuring radiating rays. The entire field is framed by several decorative floral and geometric borders. A small rectangular cartouche in the upper-central section contains four panels of Persian or Arabic script. The lower-left panel of this cartouche displays the numerals ١٣٣٣, indicating the Hijri year 1333, which corresponds to approximately 1914-1915 CE.

approx 207 x 137cm