Persian Rugs
Persia (Iran today) produces some of the finest, high quality rugs and carpets with a great diversity of design and colour. There is a long tradition of carpet weaving in Persia and the city production of fine carpets together with village and nomadic rugs and carpets still flourishes today.
Many of the nomadic peoples have become settled but still maintain the individualism in their weaving; often using vibrant colours and bold designs, creating works of art in their own right.
Here we are showing a small selection of our Persian stock…
Qashqa'i Persian rugs
These colourful carpets and rugs are hand-woven in Fars province of south-west Iran and are brought to market in the Capital city of Shiraz, near the ancient city of Persepolis.
The Qashqa'i tribes, now largely settled, who weave these beautiful rugs are particularly well known for their use of vibrant colours, achieved through high quality, hand spun and often natural dyed yarns. The designs are well executed showing Caucasian influence, with the "chain medallions" frequently encountered, along with combs, stylised birds and animals.
They are woven on a horizontal ground loom, with a foundation of ivory woollen warps and characteristically red dyed wefts, having edges over wrapped in different coloured yarns producing an attractive barber's pole effect.
Kashan Persian rugs
After the 'Golden Age' of carpet weaving (Shah Abbas, 1700's) little carpet weaving was done in Kashan until the last quarter of the nineteenth century:- where, because of the decline in other textile weaving due to competition from abroad, the local weavers turned their skills to carpet-weaving again and Kashan resurrected its fine tradition.
Today Kashan flourishes as a proud carpet centre, weaving many types and qualities of commercial carpets, all executed in graceful designs typically with a curved centre medallion and traditionally red or blue ground. However, a more recent refreshing production of blue floral designs on an ivory background has been produced.
These carpets are woven almost exclusively by women, on vertical looms, in homes rather than workshops, using cotton warps and wefts.
Sarouk Persian rugs
The Sarouk carpets originated in the village of Sarouk some 25 miles north of Arak in western Iran, but today are woven in many of the surrounding villages too.
Heriz Persian rugs
Heriz is situated in mountainous country within an important weaving area in North West Iran. The carpets taking the name of Heriz are woven in the villages within a 30 mile radius of the town by the same name. Many different qualities and variations on a similar design are produced.
The typical Heriz carpet has a strictly rectilinear medallion design that has changed little over many decades; older rugs have madder grounds and medallions mostly of indigo, today these colours are still evident but with some additions of light blue, medium green, terracotta and warm yellows.
Heriz carpets have a foundation of cotton warps and wefts, a thick and long pile of excellent wool, thus producing hard-wearing durable carpets.
