One of The Most Expensive Rugs Ever Sold

Written by Rob Leahy
April 2010

In a sale of carpets at Christie's in London (15 April 2010), a sublime 17th century Kerman vase technique carpet sold for an astonishing £6.2 million ($9.5 million), more than double the mark set not quite two years ago (3 June 2008) at CNY for the Doris Duke 'Polonaise' carpet. 

Kerman vase carpet, mid-17th century, lot 100. Formerly in the collection of Martine Marie Pol. Comtesse de Bèhague

There was never any doubt that in an Islamic art market with several very active, ultra-wealthy, top-end buyers, an example of Safavid weaving artistry as exceptional as the Comtesse de Bèhague 'Vase' carpet would do far better than the very cautious £200-300,000 estimate, but in a protracted tussle between two telephone bidders, the price kept climbing, and climbing, and climbing, with the final bid at £5,500,000 (hammer), which translates to £6,201,259 including premiums. 

Deliciously colored, with a beautiful curving serrated leaf and blossom lattice on a mid-blue ground, the carpet (lot 100) is in superb condition. It was not among those sold at auction in the late 1920's after the death of the Comtesse de Bèhague, Martine Marie Pol, but passed instead to her family, who are thought to have sold it privately sometime between the 1930's and the 1950's. It was published in black and white in 1939 in Pope's survey of Persian Art (pl.1232). Subject to confirmation, we have heard on the grapevine that it was acquired very inexpensively by the present consignor, a very senior international dealer, at a small auction in the German city of Augsburg. 

In the same Christie's sale, still in progress at the time of writing, lot 50, an exceptional spaciously drawn 15th/16th century star variant Ushak carpet, only slightly marred by the fact that the missing lower fifth of the field had been reconstructed, but otherwise in reasonable condition, also far outstripped estimate to make £265.250 ($407,955), the second highest price ever paid for a Turkish carpet at auction. A spectacular inscribed silk and metal thread Heriz carpet, early 19th century, lot 76, also passed the £100,000 mark, selling for £133,250 ($204,940). On April 9th, 2010, Sotheby's Arts of the Islamic World sale included carpets and textiles as well as several highly successful lots. First and foremost was a Safavid voided silk velvet panel, lot 156, a lattice design with birds and floral roundels, which sailed past the £300-500,000 estimate to make £1,609,250 ($2,478,235), the second highest saleroom price on record for a Persian velvet. The estimate also went out the window for lot 107, a 9th/10th century Sogdian kilim technique woolen coat, again with birds and roundels, which fetched a princely £803,850 ($1,236,390). Among SLO's almost derisory carpet offering at the end of the sale, a Safavid period Khorasan hunting design carpet, rare and old undoubtedly, but not especially beautiful, with awkward drawing and sad colors, nevertheless fetched £217,250 ($334,565).