Sometimes Persian workshops experiment with designs that almost hide where a rug was made. At first glance, this piece could be mistaken for a mid-century Chinese Art Deco rug, with its open field and minimal sprays of blossoms.

For much of the last century, many Chinese looms produced adaptations of classic Persian patterns for export. Here the story is reversed. The structure, knotting, and handle are unmistakably those of a fine Iranian weave, so you get a subtle Art Deco mood with true Persian quality.

The weaver has chosen a soft, sky-like blue that feels open and expansive, as if you are looking straight up at a clear spring sky. From two sides, delicate branches of flowering blossoms lean into the frame and gently break the empty space.

Looking at this rug feels like lying on the ground and gazing at the sky, with only a pair of blooming branches at the edge of your vision. It is a quietly poetic work of art that invites you to pause and simply look.

• Origin: Persia, Bakhtiar or Sarouk
  
• Materials: Hand-knotted wool pile on cotton foundation
  
• Age: Second half of the 20th century
  
• Size: 8' x 10' 11" (245 x 333 cm)