Persian Rug Kashan 376 x 275 cm Wool Hand-knotted

Kashan Persian Rug

Material and Craftsmanship

This Kashan Persian rug is hand-knotted. Its pile is made from 100% virgin wool, while the warp consists of 100% cotton. The two textile components are therefore clearly identified: wool forms the visible surface underfoot, and cotton provides the foundation into which the knots are tied. The rug is beige in colour.

Hand-knotting is carried out by inserting individual knots into the prepared warp. Weft threads are placed and compacted between successive rows, after which the pile is trimmed to create an even surface. This process connects the visual design directly with the rug’s construction. Unlike a machine-made surface, a hand-knotted rug is built gradually through repeated manual work, with the drawing translated into the structure row by row.

The knot density of this rug is 350,000 knots per square metre. Knot density records how many knots are placed within a defined area and provides a way of describing the fineness of the construction. It should be read alongside the stated fibre, pattern and condition rather than treated as a description of those qualities by itself. The rug is in very good condition and is unused.

The hand-knotted technique is one of the defining features of this individual piece. Its suitability for underfloor heating is also specified. When the workmanship is considered as a whole, the relevant details are the hand-knotted construction, the virgin-wool pile, the cotton warp and the stated knot density. No machine-made production is indicated for this rug.

Origin and Tradition

Kashan is a city in Iran with a long-established tradition of Persian carpet weaving. The origin of this rug is given as Persia, and Kashan identifies its regional carpet tradition. Weaving in the region reaches back to the fifteenth century. Over generations, local makers developed ways of organising colour, ornament and structure that became associated with Kashan carpets and with the wider history of Persian weaving.

Persian carpets are understood through the relationship between origin, design and craft. Kashan is associated with carefully organised compositions, floral ornament and clearly defined central arrangements. Such carpets can bring together a central medallion, surrounding foliage and framed borders within one ordered field. The designs may draw on inherited forms, cultural symbols and regional visual language, while individual rugs still differ in their precise drawing and execution.

The weaving tradition is transmitted through more than a single decorative idea. A design must be converted into a workable sequence of knots, colours must be assigned to particular areas, and the structure must be maintained as the rug progresses. Warp, weft, knot and pile therefore work together as parts of the same process. In a hand-knotted Kashan rug, regional identity can be expressed both by the appearance of the finished pattern and by the discipline of its construction.

Kashan occupies a recognised place in the history of Persian rugs because its carpets are associated with rich compositions and complex ornament. Floral forms and medallion layouts are especially useful for understanding this design vocabulary. They create a visual order in which the centre, the field and the border can be read as related parts. This rug carries the Kashan designation together with a floral medallion pattern and a hand-knotted construction.

Origin and motif should be kept distinct when describing a carpet. Kashan refers to the named Persian tradition and origin, whereas the floral medallion describes the arrangement of the ornament. A flower or medallion does not by itself establish where a rug was made. For this piece, Persia is the stated origin, and no additional production location is added.

The history of Kashan weaving also shows how regional traditions can remain recognisable while allowing variation. A design may retain a familiar central structure but change the balance of foliage, the treatment of outlines or the distribution of colour. The broader tradition supplies the vocabulary; the individual weaving gives that vocabulary its particular form. This distinction makes it possible to discuss Kashan as a regional tradition without assigning unrecorded details to this rug.

Design and Pattern

The stated design is a floral motif with a medallion. In a carpet composition, a medallion generally establishes the visual centre. It may be circular, oval, polygonal or built from several connected shapes. Floral elements can surround the centre, extend from it or link it with the outer field. In this rug, the central organisation is combined with plant-based ornament, creating a pattern that is structured around both the medallion and the floral drawing.

Floral ornament is a longstanding element of Persian carpet design. Leaves, blossoms and scrolling stems can be represented naturalistically, in a stylised form or through a carefully repeated rhythm. When the design is transferred to a knotting plan, each contour becomes a sequence of small colour areas. Curves and petals are therefore not painted onto the finished rug; they are built through the placement of individual knots.

A central medallion gives the eye a point of orientation. Secondary forms may radiate outward, balance the sides or connect the centre to a border. Borders commonly frame the inner field and help separate the main composition from the edge. The exact impression depends on the drawing, colour relationships and scale of the ornaments. Only the floral medallion structure is specified here, so no additional border design or individual botanical motif is assigned.

The colour of this rug is beige. In a floral medallion design, beige can function as a calm ground or as a unifying field between decorative areas. Together with the classical style stated for the rug, it places the composition within a traditional visual order while leaving it usable in more than one type of interior. The description of the style as classical refers to the established character of the composition, not to an invented historical date.

Knot density also affects how a drawn pattern can be translated into the pile. A greater number of knots within a given area can allow smaller contours and more closely placed details to be represented. It does not, by itself, describe every feature of the design or determine the meaning of an ornament. For this rug, the concrete design statement remains a floral motif with a medallion, while the knot density describes the fineness of its construction.

The composition is consequently read through the relationship between centre and vegetation-inspired ornament. The medallion supplies the organising focus, and the floral motif gives the surrounding design its vocabulary. This combination is consistent with the established Kashan tradition of ordered Persian carpet patterns. No further colour, border or symbolic interpretation is added because those details are not specified for this particular rug.

Special Features

The recorded features include hand-knotting, a density of 350,000 knots per square metre, a pile of 100% virgin wool and a warp of 100% cotton. The rug is in very good condition and unused. It is beige, has a classical style and displays a floral motif with a medallion.

The rug is suitable for use over underfloor heating. This is a stated practical characteristic of the piece. Its Kashan Persian origin, hand-knotted construction and classical medallion composition bring together the principal information used to identify it. The combination describes this one-off rug without adding an unrecorded provenance, date or design detail.

FAQ

How should I care for a hand-knotted Kashan Persian rug?

Regular vacuuming helps remove loose dust from the pile and keeps the surface clean. Prolonged direct sunlight should be avoided because it can contribute to colour fading. If the rug becomes heavily soiled, professional cleaning is recommended. A specialist treatment is better able to take account of the wool pile, the woven foundation and the hand-knotted construction than an unspecified household method, reducing the risk of damaging the fibres or colours.

How can I assess the quality of a Persian rug?

Quality is best considered through several features together. Knot density, the materials used and the level of detail in the pattern all provide relevant information. This rug has a density of 350,000 knots per square metre, a virgin-wool pile, a cotton warp and a hand-knotted construction. A higher density may allow a finer rendering of small design elements, but it should still be assessed alongside the workmanship, the materials and the actual condition of the rug.

Can this Persian rug be used in different rooms?

Hand-knotted Persian rugs can generally be placed in a range of living areas, including a living room, bedroom or hallway. The floral medallion and classical style can be combined with different interior arrangements. This rug is also specified as suitable for underfloor heating. Its placement should take account of the room, the level of foot traffic and a stable, even surface so that the rug can be used safely and remains properly positioned.