Sofreh Bathiyari - Persia. Circa 1950. 123 X 120 Cm

As you already know, we admire—and, let’s face it, are in love with—this vast family of everyday objects once used by nomadic peoples. These objects have a deep meaning, a soul.
Here, we have a Sofreh. It’s a cult object with its zigzag patterns on the central field, its shapes that dance and vibrate across the surface.
Sofrehs were used for preparing bread dough. No, you’re not dreaming!
With its weave and extremely tight structure, flour, salt, and water were placed directly on its surface before kneading the bread. The bread was baked over a wood fire before being placed back into this precious square for storage... Do you see the ties at each corner? Yes, they were used to close our multicolored bag. Ingenious, to say the least. The English would say "brilliant!"
So much for the functional aspect. Sofrehs are also wonderful decorative objects, highly graphic. One could even speak of high-end design or quasi-pictorial works...
That’s the art of beautiful things, my good friend Ahmet, who lives in Ankara, would tell me; one can never tire of them... Their modernity, imbued with authenticity, transcends the ages, unshakable.
Masterfully hand-woven, wool upon wool.
Circa 1950
Dimensions: 123 x 120 cm

Laurent
Beauty of Sofreh