17th Cen Persian rug fetches record USD 33.8 mln at auction

A Persian carpet from the early 17th century, decorated with swirling vines and vibrant flowers, has set a new world record after it fetched a whopping USD 33,765,000 million at auction here.
Among other items sold yesterday at Sotheby's, a Mughal silk rug, believed to be from Hyderabad, India sold for USD 5,45,000 - more than nine times its pre-sale estimate of USD 60,000.
The record-breaking Persian Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet was sold to an anonymous telephone bidder.
The carpet came from the bequest of William Clark, an industrialist and US senator who donated more than 200 works of fine art and rugs to the Corcoran Gallery of Art upon his death in 1925.

The 8-by-6-foot carpet is said to be the epitome of the 'vase' technique, perfected during the Safavid dynasty in Persia, The Washington Post reported.
"Selling the Clark-Leaf Carpet for a record-breaking price of more than three times the previous auction record for a carpet has unquestionably been the highlight of my 30 year career," said Mary Jo Otsea, Senior Consultant, Rugs and Carpets at Sotheby's.

The previous record for any carpet at auction was for a Kirman 'vase' carpet selling for USD 9,599,535 in 2010 in London.
The sale of 25 carpets at Sotheby's brought in an impressive total of USD 43,764,750. Another valuable piece, a 44-foot-long rug, the Lafoes Carpet belonging to second half of the 17th century sold for USD 4.6 million.

An Ottoman circular carpet from Cairo, Egypt sold for USD 785,000.