Kurd Bijar, late 19th cen. 3'1"x5'1" This graphically excellent Bidjar rug combines two diverse design strains, a geometric field pattern with a classic Persian vine-scroll border. Boxes drawn in blue, aubergine, gold, and reds with eight-pointed stars recall a Kurdish tribal aesthetic combining raw color and geometry. Highlights in natural camel help to reinforce this notion. The border, however, with its finely drawn ribbon of iris blossoms, palmettes, and intertwining arabesque scrolls may be traced to weaving of the sixteenth and seventeenth-century Safavid Persian court. This diverse lineage is the hallmark of Bidjar weaving and Kurdish culture in general.