Alberto Boralevi opens Sofreh exhibition in Florence
If you happen to be in Florence, Italy between 10 -29 March 2014, it will be worth your while to visit the Palazzo Frescobaldi at Via Santo Spirito 11 to see Alberto Boralevi‘s ‘I Tappeti del Pane: Kilim Sofreh della Persia Orientale’. The exhibition will be open daily from 10am-1pm and 2pm-7pm (or by appointment).
The Persian sofreh (from the Arabic ‘sufrah’, meaning ‘dinning table’), is a traditional cloth, often spread on the ground, on which to place food, which is considered sacred. The cloth is symbolically used as a clean surface where it is possible to eat without contaminating the food. Within tribes, sofreh were small rugs woven by the women of the family, usually with a kilim weaving technique or other flatweaves. These sofreh, woven in the tents of tribal groups or in small rural villages of southeastern Persia, mainly in the region of Kerman and Sirjan, are the subject of this condensed exhibition and go under the name of sofreh ardi and sofreh-ye nan-pazi (bread sofreh).
Jiroft sofreh, southeast Persia, 20th century
Afshar sofreh, southeast Persia, 20th century
Kamoo Sofreh, Persian 20th century
Bardsir sofreh, southeast Persia, 20th century
Sofreh Afshar from Baft, 126×127 cm. all wool SE Persia early 20th c. Published in the Boralevi’s book “Sofreh. pane amore e fantasia nella persi tribale”, Milano Edeitpriale Giorgio Mondadori, 2010
Sofreh Kamo (Qhorud), 118×118 cm. all wool Central Persia, first half 20th c. Published in the my book “Sofreh. pane amore e fantasia nella persi tribale”, Milano Edeitpriale Giorgio Mondadori, 2010
Sofreh Kamo 98x 104 cm. all wool Central Persia, early 20th c.
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