Persian Pile Rug Depicting Khusraw and Shirin

A crowned rider, a red horse, and lions with somewhere to be.

This pile rug depicting Khusraw and Shirin is wool, from the Ferdows area of Persia, late 19th century. Their romance was told by the 12th century poet Nizami and has been a favorite of Persian painters and weavers ever since. A crowned figure on a galloping red horse fills the top of the ivory field. Below stand three figures in long buttoned coats, with lions bearing small faces on their backs among them. A row of flowers runs along the bottom. Rosettes and palmettes crowd the red border. Just over four feet wide and nearly seven and a half long.

Persian love stories seldom end well. The horse looks fine.