Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet

This unmatched Persian masterpiece, which sold for $33.8 million (£28.3 million), is widely regarded as the most expensive rug ever sold at auction.

The Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet rug was purchased from its original owner, entrepreneur and former senator William A. Clark, by Washington's Corcoran Gallery of Art. When the gallery made the item public, it became not only the most expensive rug auctioned, but also the most expensive piece of Islamic artwork ever auctioned, setting two world records.

The Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet rug was auctioned off at the prestigious Sotheby's auction house in New York. The rug spans 2.7 metres in length by 2 metres in breadth and dates from the early 17th century. Kerman, an Iranian area surrounded by mountains, is said to have produced the famed antiquity. It has a gold sickle leaf design with a deep blue border that is ornately crafted. It is, however, the crimson on the carpet that adds value. This rug is said to be the only surviving Kerman carpet with this color scheme.

Cost: $33 million