Bokhara palace size rug with a storied history.
This large carpet was once owned by Mohammed Daoud Khan, the first president of Afghanistan. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Daoud_Khan
When I bought this piece I was told by the merchant how he came to know, and eventually own, this amazing carpet. When Daoud Khan was deposed in 1978 many people traveled to see his residence. It was plundered as the citizens of Kabul were taken aback by the ostentatious wealth they saw. My friend and his father made the trip from Kandahar to Kabul also to see Daoud Khan's place.
My friend (the rug merchant) was 12 when he first saw this carpet at Khan's. Several years later, as he became more involved in the carpet trade, he found out that the rug he had seen at Khan's had also been plundered. The man who took it was not a rug merchant and held onto this piece for many years. My friend, now living in Islamabad, eventually convinced the owner of this amazing rug to part with it.
It is now part of my collection. There are a number of repairs. These are well done as can be seen in the photo. That should not be surprising given the carpet's history of surviving a coup and then being spirited away. It is worn but in overall very good condition. The extent of the repairs attest to the value past owners have placed on this piece. It is unique, and quite old.
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