Since Shah Abbas the Great first established his Court looms in Isfahan in the latter half of the 16th Century, this most beautiful of Persian cities has been renowned as the origin of the finest and most valuable of all Persian master-workshop carpets, a reputation which reached its height under Mohammed Reza Shah, last of the Pahlavi dynasty, when the ultra-refined style exemplified in this magnificent item was developed under his Royal patronage. Knotted in the precious wool from the neck of the Persian sheep, on a gossamer base of cotton the rug illustrates the finest of all Persian weaves, astonishing in its knot-count quality which produces the extraordinary clarity of pencil-like drawing in the flowing animal and foliate depictions that make up the superb design arrangement of the field.  With its exquisite palette of the very soft, slightly powdery Isfahan dye shades that, in combination with the unique properties of the pile wool, create the enchanting pastel tonality of the work's chromatic effect, this is a masterly Isfahan of flawless beauty and immense investment potential, for the discerning connoisseur.