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Isfahan · 20th century
Akbar Mahdie is considered one of the most important Isfahan masters of the post-war era.
Photo: Morgenland Rugs
Akbar Mahdie ranks among the post-war Isfahan master weavers — the generation that carried the classical Isfahan tradition of the 1940s and 1950s into the international markets of the post-war era. His workshop stood in the line of the great Isfahan ateliers, although its output was smaller than that of the better-known Seirafian dynasty.
Mahdie rugs follow the classical Isfahan school: cork wool with silk accents, knot densities between 500,000 and 800,000 knots per square metre, and centrally symmetrical medallion compositions with floral borders. The colour palette stays with ivory, muted red, and indigoIndigoPflanzlicher Farbstoff aus der Indigopflanze, der tiefe Blautöne erzeugt. Einer der wichtigsten Naturfarbstoffe orientalischer Teppiche.Read in glossary → — classically Persian.
Akbar Mahdie pieces are rather scarce on the collector market and surface mainly at specialist auctions and in upper-tier dealerships. For lovers of post-war Isfahan quality they are a rewarding alternative to the more publicised workshops.
Associated style
Isfahan rugs from the former Safavid capital are considered the pinnacle of Persian rug knotting — exceptionally fine and elegant.