Among the great cities of Persia famed for producing fine rugs, Tabriz holds a pre-eminent place. It has the longest attested tradition of rug weaving. Many of the earliest masterpieces of Classical Persian rug art have been attributed to Tabriz, and since that time this city has set the standard for Persian carpets of the highest artistic quality, refinement, and technical skill.
The term Hajijalili is used to distinguish late nineteenth-century Tabriz carpets of the very finest quality, literally the crème de la crème. They were actually produced in Marand in the Azerbaijan region, some forty miles Northwest of Tabriz under the direction of Haji Jalili, who may have been a master weaver, or else a designer who supervised the production. Haji Jalili Tabrizes were made to cater to the most sophisticated tastes of the Iranian nobility, with a pile utilizing the finest, most delicate lamb’s wool, analogous to the Pashmina wool of seventeenth-century Moghul court carpets.
This particular piece #213 was made as a sampler for a much larger rug as the weavers were trying to make sure the design and colors meet the owners satisfaction before the actual rug was started. Therefore, it’s quite rare and unusual to encounter a design like this in such a small size and such pristine condition.