Isfahan Persian Rug 300 × 459 cm, Wool, hand-knotted, antique

Overview

An Isfahan Persian rug from Iran, measuring 300 × 459 cm. It covers approximately 13.77 m², or 9.8′ × 15.1′. Isfahan has been a centre of Persian court weaving since the Safavid period; its rugs are finely knotted and frequently set on a silk warp.

Materials and construction

Stated material: cotton warp, wool. The rug was knotted entirely by hand on the loom, which is why the surface is not mechanically even but carries the small irregularities that mark hand work. New wool gives a resilient pile that recovers from footfall and takes dye deeply. The cotton warp holds the rug flat and keeps it dimensionally stable.

Size and placement

The rug is rectangular. At this size the rug sets the room rather than accenting it, and wants furniture standing on it. In our size filter it is listed under Larger than 400×300cm.

On the knot count

The stated knot density is 400,000–499,999 knots/m². A middle count: the pattern reads clearly while the rug keeps a robust, everyday handle.

Period

Stated age: 50 years or more. An old rug shows an evened, slightly lowered pile and the patina that only use produces; that is a mark of age, not of damage. The piece is a one-off: in this combination of size, material, knot count and drawing it exists exactly once, and it cannot be reordered once sold.