Antique Fine Persian Wool Rug, Herati Mahi Pattern, Navy Ground, Ferahan / Senneh Style, 4x6

A fine antique hand-knotted Persian wool rug in the great west-Persian tradition — drawn in the classic Herati (or "Mahi," fish-in-pond) pattern: a continuous lattice of small diamond rosettes flanked by curving stylized leaves and "fish" boteh, set into a deep indigo-navy ground and framed by a richly drawn floral border in madder red, ivory cream, soft blue-green, and warm camel. The Herati / Mahi pattern is one of the oldest and most refined design vocabularies in Persian weaving — strongly associated with the finer west-Persian weaving centers of Ferahan, Senneh, fine Bidjar, and the upper end of the Mahal/Sultanabad tradition in the Arak region — and it remains one of the most sought-after antique rug patterns on the secondary market.

What distinguishes this rug from the standard west-Persian village production is the fineness of the weave and the quality of the wool. The drawing is tight, the rosettes are crisp, and the curvilinear "fish" boteh resolve cleanly — all signals of a noticeably higher knot density than the typical coarse Mahal or Hamadan. The pile reads soft, low, and luminous in raking light — characteristic of kork wool, the famously lustrous lamb's-neck and shoulder wool that the finer Persian weaving centers used for their best work. After a hundred-plus years of careful use, that fine wool has worn into a thin, silky-feeling, slightly sheened surface that reproductions cannot fake and that distinguishes a real antique fine Persian from any later or coarser production.

The palette is the classic west-Persian register: indigo navy ground, madder red and cream-rose secondary fields, ivory in the small geometric pendants, and the soft camel and blue-green accents that make these rugs sit comfortably in any room. The corners and borders read tight and graphic; the field is alive with the small color shifts (abrash) and drawn-by-hand asymmetries that distinguish a true village antique from any machine copy.

The selvedges have been carefully leather-bound at some point in the rug's life — a serious wear-protection retrofit that an earlier owner or dealer commissioned to extend the life of a rug they cared about. The leather has aged warmly into the piece. Pile shows honest wear consistent with a century of footfall — low in places, particularly at the borders, but the field reads strong and the design is fully legible throughout.

Works beautifully under a small dining table for two, in a hall, layered over a larger sisal or jute, anchoring an entry, in a study, library, or bedroom. Reads particularly well against pale plaster walls, dark wood, mid-century or transitional furniture, and contemporary minimalist interiors where a single fine antique becomes the focal point. The Herati / Mahi pattern in this scale and palette is one of the most universally compatible antique rug designs.

Dimensions: 6'5" L × 4'1" W (77.5" × 49")

Ships via FedEx or UPS, fully insured.

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