Persian Carpet Styles

Almost every major Iranian city has its own Persian carpet style.

Iran, formerly known as Persia, is a haven for fine carpet manufacturing. Millions of Iranians make their living either in the making of the carpets or in raising sheep for wool, dying the wool, spinning the thread, repairing carpets or selling them. The many styles vary based on their originating city or area, and some styles have remained virtually the same for hundreds of years.

Nain

Carpets from the city of Nain are among the more popular Persian carpets. Nain carpets are made with silk, along with the more typical wool. The threads are densely knotted: up to one million knots per square meter. This tight knotting allows for more detail. Carpets from Nain usually have patterns featuring central medallions and flowers and foliage. Colors are slightly more neutral than other carpets, with cream and beige being the immediate focus; madder red (a dye derived from the root of the madder plant, commonly used in textiles) and indigo blue may be used but they will be dominated by the more neutral tones.

Heriz

Heriz carpets are best suited for high traffic areas such as hallways and entryways. They feature durable wool and are easy to find in larger sizes, around 300x200 cm or even larger. Though less detailed than some, Heriz carpets feature bold, distinctive geometric patterns. Carpets from the city of Heriz almost always boast a very large right-angled medallion and large delineated corner sections. Asymmetrical foliage in the central medallion or borders is also common. Madder red and orange should always dominate a Heriz carpet, though small amounts of beige, cream, green and occasionally indigo blue are not uncommon.

Hamadan

Though all Hamadan carpets are sold in the city of Hamadan (sometimes translated as Hamedan), some were originally made in the smaller cities and villages that surround Hamadan. The finer of these are sold under their own names, such as Malayer, Tuiserkan, Hosseinabad and Nahavand. Because of this, Hamadan carpets come in a wider variety of patterns than most. However, in general they are durable and tough, suitable for medium to high traffic areas. These carpets are rectangular with both a single central medallion and a repeating pattern of alternating medallions down the center. Patterns are almost always symmetrical, but asymmetrical foliage can occasionally be found. Madder red and indigo blue tend to be the focal colors for Hamadan carpets.

References

• Carpet Encyclopedia: Persian Carpets
• Carpet Encyclopedia: Nain
• Carpet Encyclopedia: Heriz
• Carpet Encyclopedia: Hamadan
• Dictionary: Alizarin

Resources

• Through the Collector's Eye: Persian Rug Care
• Through the Collector's Eye: Antique Oriental Rug -- How to Evaluate Quality