These guys in Zurich / Switzerland probably had too much cheese ;-) 40.000.000.00 US$!!!

OK- real great rug, probably from the Amoghli workshop - typical style and color.

http://images.search.yah...&x=wrt&y=Search

I never heard of an certified appraiser for oriental rugs named Joseph Finzi (and I think I know all in europe who are to be known). The german certificat is not even signed and it reads more like a sales add than a certificat describing a rug.

If the owner has a proof that the rug belonged to the Reza Shah I am sure it would sell for at least 350.000 - 400.000 GBP at an auction at the specialised houses in England. A higher price would also be possible if there where bidders who are potent and after the piece as shown April 15th when a rug reached new world record:

http://www.rugrag.com/po...-in-London-by-Christies!.aspx

The funny thing about the rug is the following story:
The rug belonged to the collection Bernheimer in Munich / Germany. After the owners death a close relative inherited the rug. Since she didn`t like it she brought it to an auction house in Augsburg / Germany. The "specialist" appraised it at 900,00 EUR (about 1200 US$). It sold at auction for about 20.000 EUR / 26.000 US$ to a rug dealer in Hamburg. The seller and the auction house where very happy with the sale - until the rug showed up a short time later at Christies in London, where it sold for approx. 9.600.000.00 US$. The lady that inherited the rug went to court against the first auction house to get compensation, but the judges refused to follow her argumentation.