The Sivas carpets produced in central Turkey during the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries tended toward the Persian designs demanded by western markets at that time. While every bit the equal of Persian rugs technically, Sivas carpets seldom achieved the kind of artistry of design that we see in this impressive piece. Here we have the luxurious ‘hunting’ format widely developed in Persian court workshops in the seventeenth century, with a wide array of animals, both real and imaginary, cavorting about a paradise landscape centered on a great tree of life. The main border has a finely detailed palmette vinescroll pattern consistent with the design texture of the field. But unlike the vividly colored Persian prototypes, this Sivas has a soft elegantly decorative palette in shades of cognac, celadon, and tan, with sparing use of aubergine for accents. This palette appears all the more lovely because of the lustrous wool pile.
