Descriptions & Places of Origin

TABRIZ, IRAN
The town where very famous rugs have been woven for centuries. It is in the northwest part of Iran. A large rug trade is still carried on in the bazaars. Warp and weft are cotton; pile is wool of great quality. Both senneh and ghiordes knots are of very high quality. Colors are usually cream, bittersweet, red or blue grounds.

ARDABIL
Suggests the word 'sacred carpet.' A famous pair of rugs woven during the reign of Shah Tahmasp (1524-1576) of Safavid Dynasty are the two almost identical Ardabil Carpets. The date, 1539-1540, and the name of the designer, Maqsud of Kashan, have been woven into both rugs. The dimensions of both rugs are the same, 17' 6" by 36' 6". Their foundation is silk, and they have been woven with 300 asymmetric (Persian) knots per square inch.

One rug is in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England (image) and the other is in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. (Image) The former has been repaired with fragments of the latter. Therefore, the one in Victoria and Albert museum is in whole and the one in Los Angles is missing its borders. The origin of the rugs has been linked to Ardabil, Kashan, Mashad and Tabriz, as well as other places.

BIDJAR
This rug is made by the Kurds and is the strongest type of rug obtainable. Bidjar rugs are always very firmly woven and therefore extremely hardwearing. Warp and weft are either cotton or wool; colors are reds and blues illustrating the Heratte pattern with crab borders.

HAMADAN
Often praised as a good solid rug. Made in a large district in western Iran. Hamadan serves as a market for many villages. Hamadan rugs are also knotted of either cotton or wool warp, with wool pile and weft threads which are sometimes also wool.

SAROUK
Sarouk is located southwest of Tehran, the capital of Iran. Sarouk rugs are usually made of handsome lustrous yarns with very dense senneh knotting. Warp and weft are of cotton. Colors are red, blue. These rugs are very traditional in America.

SENNEH
Made near the town of Senneh in the west of Iran, very fine all-over Heratte design, with cotton warp or wool weft and wool pile.

KERMAN
The large town of Kerman in south Iran produces handsome lustrous dense rugs in many sizes. Warp and weft are of cotton with very fine wool pile. Colors are pale cream, green, and rose. Designs are usually floral patterns.

SHIRAZ
The Nomadic Qashgai tribes and are transported to the town of Shiraz in southern Iran. The warp, weft, and pile are of wool. Colors are reds and blues, often crude and rather harsh. Stylized with geometrical flowers and patterns.

BAKHTIARI
These rugs are generally all-over designs of compartments and at times have a medallion floral covered design with beautiful deep colors. Warp and weft are of cotton with a strong wool pile. Nomadic tribes live in the south of Iran between Isfahan and the Persian Gulf.

NAIN
Located in central Iran, Nain rugs are of very high quality curvilinear designs in an array of beautiful colors, decorated with silk. They have cotton warp and weft, wool and silk pile.
ISFAHAN
Isfahan rugs have been treasured for centuries. The beautiful curvilinear designs and colors, combined with 400-800 knot density are a true work of art. In the 16th century, during the reign of Shah Abbas, who was the patron of art, famous workshops were founded in Isfahan.

YOMUD, TURKOMAN
Woven by the Turkoman, a nomadic tribe from a large area between north Iran, the Caspian Sea, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. Foundation is warp wool and weft, pile is also of wool. General colors are many shades of reds and blues with octagonal or gul, sometimes called elephant's foot designs.

TEKKE, TURKOMAN
Believed to be the largest tribe in Turkomanistan. The foundation and pile are of very dense wool. Again, the colors are generally reds and blues with octagonal designs having tarantula patterns. Many were brought to America with European furniture.

AFGHANISTAN
Afgahan carpets are of very deep colors of blue to black, sometimes dark green. Guls are in rows and are larger than the Yomud and Teke varities.

HACHLI, AFGHANISTAN
These rugs have red ground similar to the Afgahan rugs, which forms the opening of a tent. The design is cross-like dividing the rug into four parts with patterns resembling candlesticks.

KAZAK, CAUCASUS
Kazak rugs are of very bold, geometric, nomadic designs. They are woven by Turks in Azerbajan. Their foundation and pile are of wool with bright colors of reds, greens, and yellows. I believe these rugs are very interesting and collectable.

MUDJUR, TURKEY
Knotted on foundations of wool warp, weft, and pile. Red is the color. Can be a prayer design with a stylized tree of life, very beautifully done and can be used as a wall hanging.

TURKOMAN, PAKISTAN
Turkoman-design rugs are made in Pakistan by weavers in towns in Karachi, Lahore, and Hyderabad. They produce rugs of good quality and copy designs from other rug areas such as Iran, Turkoman, and Caucasian.

CHINA
Chinese rugs come from one of the factory-like workshops of Peking, Tientsin, Shanghai. Foundation of cotton, deep wool piles. The rugs are sometimes carved in relief. Colors are ivory, blue, coral, rose with many of their own designs.


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Descriptions & Places of Origin TABRIZ, IRAN The town where very famous rugs have been woven for centuries. It is in the northwest part of Iran. A large rug trade is still carried on in the bazaars. Warp and weft are cotton; pile is wool of great quality. Both senneh and ghiordes knots are of very high quality. Colors are usually cream, bittersweet, red or blue grounds. ARDABIL Suggests the word 'sacred carpet.' A famous pair of rugs woven during the reign of Shah Tahmasp (1524-1576) of Safavid Dynasty are the two almost identical Ardabil Carpets. The date, 1539-1540, and the name of the designer, Maqsud of Kashan, have been woven into both rugs. The dimensions of both rugs are the same, 17' 6" by 36' 6". Their foundation is silk, and they have been woven with 300 asymmetric (Persian) knots per square inch. One rug is in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England (image) and the other is in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. (Image) The former has been repaired with fragments of the latter. Therefore, the one in Victoria and Albert museum is in whole and the one in Los Angles is missing its borders. The origin of the rugs has been linked to Ardabil, Kashan, Mashad and Tabriz, as well as other places. BIDJAR This rug is made by the Kurds and is the strongest type of rug obtainable. Bidjar rugs are always very firmly woven and therefore extremely hardwearing. Warp and weft are either cotton or wool; colors are reds and blues illustrating the Heratte pattern with crab borders. HAMADAN Often praised as a good solid rug. Made in a large district in western Iran. Hamadan serves as a market for many villages. Hamadan rugs are also knotted of either cotton or wool warp, with wool pile and weft threads which are sometimes also wool. SAROUK Sarouk is located southwest of Tehran, the capital of Iran. Sarouk rugs are usually made of handsome lustrous yarns with very dense senneh knotting. Warp and weft are of cotton. Colors are red, blue. These rugs are very traditional in America. SENNEH Made near the town of Senneh in the west of Iran, very fine all-over Heratte design, with cotton warp or wool weft and wool pile. KERMAN The large town of Kerman in south Iran produces handsome lustrous dense rugs in many sizes. Warp and weft are of cotton with very fine wool pile. Colors are pale cream, green, and rose. Designs are usually floral patterns. SHIRAZ The Nomadic Qashgai tribes and are transported to the town of Shiraz in southern Iran. The warp, weft, and pile are of wool. Colors are reds and blues, often crude and rather harsh. Stylized with geometrical flowers and patterns. BAKHTIARI These rugs are generally all-over designs of compartments and at times have a medallion floral covered design with beautiful deep colors. Warp and weft are of cotton with a strong wool pile. Nomadic tribes live in the south of Iran between Isfahan and the Persian Gulf. NAIN Located in central Iran, Nain rugs are of very high quality curvilinear designs in an array of beautiful colors, decorated with silk. They have cotton warp and weft, wool and silk pile. ISFAHAN Isfahan rugs have been treasured for centuries. The beautiful curvilinear designs and colors, combined with 400-800 knot density are a true work of art. In the 16th century, during the reign of Shah Abbas, who was the patron of art, famous workshops were founded in Isfahan. YOMUD, TURKOMAN Woven by the Turkoman, a nomadic tribe from a large area between north Iran, the Caspian Sea, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. Foundation is warp wool and weft, pile is also of wool. General colors are many shades of reds and blues with octagonal or gul, sometimes called elephant's foot designs. TEKKE, TURKOMAN Believed to be the largest tribe in Turkomanistan. The foundation and pile are of very dense wool. Again, the colors are generally reds and blues with octagonal designs having tarantula patterns. Many were brought to America with European furniture. AFGHANISTAN Afgahan carpets are of very deep colors of blue to black, sometimes dark green. Guls are in rows and are larger than the Yomud and Teke varities. HACHLI, AFGHANISTAN These rugs have red ground similar to the Afgahan rugs, which forms the opening of a tent. The design is cross-like dividing the rug into four parts with patterns resembling candlesticks. KAZAK, CAUCASUS Kazak rugs are of very bold, geometric, nomadic designs. They are woven by Turks in Azerbajan. Their foundation and pile are of wool with bright colors of reds, greens, and yellows. I believe these rugs are very interesting and collectable. MUDJUR, TURKEY Knotted on foundations of wool warp, weft, and pile. Red is the color. Can be a prayer design with a stylized tree of life, very beautifully done and can be used as a wall hanging. TURKOMAN, PAKISTAN Turkoman-design rugs are made in Pakistan by weavers in towns in Karachi, Lahore, and Hyderabad. They produce rugs of good quality and copy designs from other rug areas such as Iran, Turkoman, and Caucasian. CHINA Chinese rugs come from one of the factory-like workshops of Peking, Tientsin, Shanghai. Foundation of cotton, deep wool piles. The rugs are sometimes carved in relief. Colors are ivory, blue, coral, rose with many of their own designs.

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Home • About Us • Rug Gallery • Rug Services • Rug Info • Rug Links

Descriptions & Places of Origin

Please e-mail us at robertz@fineorientalrugs.com or call us at (248) 852-7060

web design by C.Michael Hager