28/04/2026
Antique Persian Qum Silk Carpet
Size: 138 x 216 cm (4’6” x 7’1”)
Age: c.1940s
Material: Natural Silk on Silk
Design: Garden of Paradise
Original: Qum, Iran (Persia)
Product Code: AS101
*Viewings available daily By Appointment Only.
The Old Iranian word “pairi-daēza”, used to describe royal Persian gardens, later evolved through Greek, Latin, and French to signify a blissful, idyllic realm, eventually resulting in the English word “paradise”.
Ancient Persian kings created enclosed, lush gardens representing Heaven on Earth. They were sanctuaries of fruit-bearing trees & flowering plants, complete with monumental water features & pavilions, and sophisticated irrigation systems.
The earliest known example discovered thus far is the royal garden of Cyrus the Great, a Persian king who ruled from around 559 BCE. Located in Pasargadae, which was the first capital of the Achaemenid Empire - an ancient Iranian empire renowned for its massive scale, centralised administration, and cultural tolerance.
Pasargadae is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in the present-day Fars province of Iran.
