A Tabriz carpet from Northwest Persia, having a dense herati pattern in beige around a medallion containing a stepped centerpiece within a palmette and rosette border. Tabriz, the capital of the northwestern Iranian province of Azerbaijan, has for centuries enjoyed a great reputation as a center of Persian culture. Under the benign patronage of Shah Abbas the Great (1587-1629), artists and artisans designed illuminated manuscripts, embroidered silks, painted miniatures and fabricated metal work in the Safavid style. It was in this fertile, creative atmosphere that the weavers of Tabriz rugs for the Court were inspired to reach for new artistic heights and created exceptional antique oriental rugs and Persian carpets. The art of carpet-weaving was handed down from generation to generation and considered a family treasure, allowing artists to ply a respected trade.