A PICTORIAL JUDAICA SILK RUG, KASHAN: CIRCA 1900

This elaborate silk carpet, woven in Kashan in the closing decade of the nineteenth century, is one of the most ambitious survivals of Jewish iconography within the broader tradition of Qajar textile arts. Richly colored, densely patterned, and animated by an unprecedented range of biblical scenes, the carpet exemplifies the inventive visual vocabulary that flourished in Iran under the Qajar dynasty (1794–1925).

At the heart of the composition is a sweeping program of biblical imagery that unfolds vertically. The lower register features Aaron, the High Priest (at left) shown barefoot before the Menorah and wearing his jeweled breastplate, paired with Moses (at right) holding the Tablets of the Law. Between them is a vision of the holy of Holies. Above them rises a complex architectural rendering of the Temple (on top) surmounted by the symbols of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The structure itself bears strong Qajar stylistic influence: an ornate gate replaces massive stone walls, and the foreshortening applied to its inner chambers reflects the impact of late nineteenth-century European draftsmanship.

The entire design is unified by a vivid palette and an intricate mesh of floral motifs that reference the workshop traditions of Kashan, long celebrated for its silk production and its role as a center of Jewish craftsmanship. At the bottom center appears a unique rendering of the Western Wall, before which three figures stand in prayer—possibly portraits of the carpet’s maker or intended recipients, echoing the historical convention of artists inserting their likenesses within devotional works.

The border is a narrative cycle in its own right. Framed by richly detailed cartouches and accompanied by Hebrew inscriptions, it presents key biblical episodes: Noah and his sons before the Ark, the Binding of Isaac, the sale of Joseph into slavery, the discovery of infant Moses among the reeds, and Elijah’s ascent to heaven, along with depictions of the traditional tombs of the patriarchs and Rachel. The coherence and density of this iconographic program are unparalleled among documented Jewish Qajar carpets.

Both the artistic quality and the extraordinary iconography are consistent with works attributed to the highly skilled Jewish workshops active in Kashan during the period. Literary and oral traditions recorded by Hakham Yedidia Shofet (1908–2005), former Chief Rabbi of Iran, identify this carpet type as having been commissioned by the Shah of Persia, Naser al-Din (reigned 1848–96) as a gift for his esteemed Jewish court physician, Hakim Nour Mahmood (1822–1899). According to this account, the Shah offered the carpet in gratitude and admiration following Mahmood’s survival of an assassination attempt by jealous colleagues at court. This story, preserved within the Iranian Jewish community and echoed in scholarship, underscores the prestige the work held from the moment of its creation and illuminates the complex social position of Jewish professionals in Qajar Iran.

This carpet is among the most significant examples of its kind to come to market. Its technical virtuosity, narrative ambition, and richly layered history make it a landmark object within the intertwined artistic traditions of Iran and the Jewish diaspora.

 82 × 52.5 in. (208.3 × 133.5 cm.) 

LITERATURE

Jewish Carpets: A History and Guide (Oriental Rugs Series) by Anton Felton. England:1997 Published by the Antique Collectors' Club. No. 90 pp. 156-157.

Art and Tradition: Treasures of Jewish Life, Beth Tzedec Reuben & Helene Dennis Museum. By Dorion Liebgott,

Toronto, Canada: 2000. p. 109.