Vintage Persian Mahal Throw Rug

A wool pile of asymmetric knots on a cotton foundation. The field is a horizontally striped color sampler with plain bands in near black, ecru, carrot-rust, pale blue, royal blue, light green, and red. The borders are slim, with a major ecru stripe displaying reversing fan palmettes and a plain outer stripe in carrot rust. The contrast between a totally abstract field and a figured border is a relatively recent innovation.