See how the rugs Look in the - Persian Rug Gallery
Usually mid-size to large, and characterized by their curvilinear patterns including medallions, hunting patterns, prayer, and pictorial designs, Tabriz Persian Rugs are famous for their wide range of patterns and styles, such as the famous 'Mahi' one of the most elegant. Tabriz wool rugs typically feature dense floral patterns filled with palmettes, vases, and other garden elements in dark red or dark blue with contrasting shades of white or ivory, pale blue or light gray. Medium quality Tabriz wool rugs are made with cotton foundation and pure wool pile. The finer Tabriz rugs often feature a pure silk foundation with a combination wool and silk pile and can have a density of up to 800 KPSI (knots per square inch). Although truly exceptional Tabriz rugs have been sold at auction for well over a million dollars, there are many wonderful Tabriz wool rugs that are extraordinarily beautiful and very affordable.
Known for Unique designs and Large size, Kashmar Persian Rugs usually tell the story of a significant event in Persian history with views of the ancient ruins, sculptures of kings, and birds and animals from the Rubayat of Omar Khayam. There are also Kashmar carpets which resemble the classic Kashan, with central medallion and spandrels. Older area rugs will be primarily baby blue and cream with ivory. Newer Kashmar area rugs feature greens, reds, and browns.
The majority of Kashan rugs are mid-size and are known by a single medallion in the center and Persian floral motifs including arabesques, flower stems, palmettos, rosettes, and blossom and leaf motifs, forming extremely dense patterns. Extremely dense Persian knots are used to weave a Kashan Oriental Rug. Most frequently shades of red, blue, beige, and ivory are found on the field of a Kashan area rug, with a variety of contrasting colors making up the design. Revered for its very fine quality, the Kashan area rug was once the preferred rug of royalty and buyers who would accept no less than the best.
Usually Large but generally more affordable than many other types of Persian carpets, Mashad Persian rugs have a few unique characteristics such as their elongated corners; the exclusive use of deep red for the background and dark blue for the medallion, corners, and border. The most frequently used is the Shah Abbas design - a large center medallion and very unique elongated corners. The Shah Abbas design on Mashad carpets almost always has a dark red background and uses dark blue for the medallion, corners, and border. The Herati and Boteh designs are also commonly used on Mashad Persian carpets, usually in an all-over repeating or an endless repeat. You may find Mashad Persian carpets with the Herati motif marketed under the name Khorasan, making them quite difficult to recognize as Mashad by inexperienced buyers. Mashad is well known for producing some of the best wool in Iran and is used exclusively in its Persian carpets.
Most frequently seen in mid to large size, the Sarough Area Rugs designs are usually elegant floral vines. A pattern on a Sarough area rug may be curvilinear or geometric and comes in both traditional and American styles. The traditional style Sarough area rug designs include the classics - Herati, Boteh, or Gul Hannai in either an all-over or medallion layout with a hexagonal, oval, diamond, round, or angular floral shape. The colors featured on a traditional style Sarough area rug are red, blue, burnt orange, ocher, and champagne. The American style of Sarough area rug is predominantly reds and blues. These one-of-a-kind masterpieces will harmonize with any décor of your home. Due to the extraordinary quality of craftsmanship and material, they are sought after by museums and private collectors alike.
Kerman Persian Rugs are famous for their large sizes but smaller sizes are available as well. Traditionally a Kerman Persian carpet features a main border and central medallion in an intricately-detailed, ornate architectural or floral theme and medallions and outer borders that are intricately detailed and woven from cartoons. One of the most famous is the Eski-Kerman, a single medallion with arabesque, typically with solid and lighter colored fields. The open field is actually an important distinguishing characteristic of a modern Kerman Persian carpet. Other classic designs are Shah Abbasi medallion-and-corner, all-over floral, all-over boteh, and tree-of-life. The antique and semi-antique rugs have red and blue combinations, while pastel shades like turquoise, orange, champagne, and beige are found on newer rugs. The reds and blues in a Kerman Persian carpet are lighter in comparison to carpets made in other cities. Fifteen to thirty colors are generally used in each carpet.
The majority of Isfahan rugs are in the small and mid-size class, although they are available up to 10 by 18 feet. A frequently used design on Isfahan Persian rugs features a large round medallion. Other popular designs include pictorials, and the tree of life. Isfahan traditional rugs are extremely colorful - up to 15 colors - and include blues, reds, and beiges on an ivory background. These superbly hand woven one-of-a kind area rugs are known to last hundreds of years. Isfahan Persian carpets, Oriental rugs, and runners are among the most luxurious, unique, durable and elegant. These rugs are in such great demand that a whole industry of counterfeit Serafian traditional rugs now exists. Buyer beware. The best protection is to purchase your Isfahan traditional rugs only from a reputable dealer who will provide a certificate of authentication.
Antique Persian carpets in the Heriz style called Serapi (woven before 1900) are extremely valuable and highly collectable. The skilled artisans still use basically the same technique as that of the Mongols who invaded the region in the 13th century. Heriz Persian carpets are the most sought after of the tribal rugs. Newer Heriz Persian carpets most frequently feature a large, single, octagonal medallion complemented by flowers, twines, and vases. The background tends to be very densely decorated. Antique carpets will have different designs on quite a plain background in various shades of blue, turquoise, brown, and beige. Newer Heriz Persian carpets are very distinctive using a color palette of red, brown, and baby blue.
Available in All Sizes Ardabil Persian Rugs feature patterns that are very similar to Caucasian rugs, but with more design and objects woven into the borders. The patterns are predominantly geometric and the most common layouts on an Ardabil Persian carpet are medallions, multiple connected diamond-shaped medallions, and all-over octagonal shapes. The most recognized design found on an Ardabil Persian carpet is the famous Mahi (Herati) design - a diamond medallion and small fish throughout. Some modern weavers have begun to favor bold geometric patterns over the traditional Mahi (Herati) design and have added colors such as turquoise and purple to the more traditional red, pink, ivory, green, and blue. Ardabil rugs go well with contemporary, traditional, and modern decors and particularly well in homes with a Southwestern feel.
Small to mid-size works of art, very soft and lush, it is as common to see a Turkoman Persian carpet hanging on the wall as on the floor. The three distinguishing features on a Turkoman Persian carpet are a background color that is red to reddish brown, a geometric pattern, and a unique octagonal motif known as the Gul, which is seen in several variations. Gul means flower in Farsi. The layout on a Turkoman Persian carpet is typically all-over and the Guls are often repeated in rows with smaller Guls (referred to as minor Guls) in between the rows of larger Guls (referred to as major Guls). The predominant colors on the designs and borders of a Turkoman Persian rug are white, beige, black, and blue.
The majority are mid-size, but larger sizes of Handwoven Wool & Silk Nain Persian carpets are available. Their unique feature is that they use more animal motifs, especially birds, in the background. The Islimi design also features prominently. A distinguishing characteristic is their single medallion set in a blue or ivory background. It is very rare to find a red background. The colors on Nain Persian rugs are very subtle in muted shades of white, ivory, beige, buff, light gray, light blue, turquoise, navy, light brown, camel & burgundy. Nain Persian Rugs are one of the finest, most luxurious rug styles the world over.
Available in a variety of sizes, traditional Bakhtiari rugs are famous for their beautiful wool garden carpet Khesti design, decorated with trees-of-life, birds, flowers and animals, flower and tendril motifs filled within geometrical compartments. A Bakhtiari design featuring a decorated field with lattice designs and floral ornaments figures prominently on Bakhtiari traditional rugs as well. Natural dyes in many shades of white and ivory are predominantly used, in addition to red, brown, green, and yellow. However, blue is rarely used on Bakhtiari traditional rugs. Color schemes include many shades of brown, rust, yellow ochre, bottle green, beige, dark blue and red. Good quality wool and a strong base weave cotton gives the traditional Bakhtiari rugs weight, enabling them to lie flat on the floor. Available in a variety of sizes, the durable nature and rustic, nomadic appearance of these rugs make them very desirable to own and enjoy.
The designs on Gabbeh Persian Rugs are completely uncluttered, with large fields, bold stripes and geometric human or animal shapes. The color palette is very harmonious in soft greens, light blue, and khaki. Newer Gabbeh wool rugs may feature bolder shades of red, yellow, and ivory. Gabbeh wool rugs are renowned for their superb quality of materials Each one is a totally unique one-of-a-kind work of art with no design being reused. Gabbeh wool rugs are extremely simple and geometric, available in a variety of sizes, although the majority of them are small. Birds, people and bolder shades of red, yellow and ivory may appear in newer Gabbeh rugs.
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