Persian Rug Kashmar 340 x 250 cm Hand-knotted (Sold)

Kashmar Persian Rug

Material and Craftsmanship

This Kashmar Persian rug is hand-knotted. Its pile is made of pure virgin wool, while the warp is cotton. These two materials reflect the basic construction of a hand-knotted rug: the warp forms the supporting framework, and pile yarn is tied into it knot by knot. The resulting textile has a surface formed by closely placed wool knots and a foundation that holds the structure together.

Virgin wool is used for the pile of Persian rugs because it combines a pleasant feel with a resilient fibre. A surface made from pure wool feels soft to the touch and can help absorb sound within a room. Wool can also take up moisture from the surrounding air and release it again. Cotton provides the foundation beneath the pile. Cotton yarn can be spun finely and closely, making it suitable for a firm, durable warp in a hand-knotted rug.

Hand-knotting requires a continuous sequence of manual work. Each knot is placed individually into the prepared warp, and the following rows secure the knots within the woven structure. Unlike a machine-made floor covering, a hand-knotted rug is built through the repeated work of the knotter. The listed knot density is approximately 200,000 to 250,000 knots per square metre. The virgin-wool pile, cotton warp and hand-knotted construction are the stated material and production features of this rug.

Origin and Tradition

The rug comes from the city of Kashmar in Persia. Kashmar is one of the Persian weaving centres associated with a wide variety of designs. Its tradition is not limited to one unchanging decorative language. Instead, the preferred themes and patterns of Kashmar rugs have changed over time. Older and newer design traditions therefore exist alongside one another within the regional history of weaving.

In the past, Kashmar rugs were often made with the Herati pattern. Herati is one of the established pattern traditions of Persian rug weaving. Such designs depend on the ordered repetition of forms and create a clearly structured field. The continuation of inherited pattern families shows how Persian rug making connects design, workshop knowledge and practical skill. A pattern is carried forward through the tradition of weaving while remaining part of a particular time and regional culture.

Today, Kashmar rugs are more commonly created in the Sirchaki or Zirkhaki design. This pattern centres on the idea of ancient archaeological finds. Its name is rendered as a treasure motif. The design therefore links textile ornament with images of objects associated with an earlier culture and with historical excavation. Vases, weapons and bowls are incorporated into the composition and placed around a central medallion.

Persian rugs are woven in many regions of the country. Well-known origins include Nain, Sarough, Tabriz, Isfahan, Kashan, Bidjar and Ghom, among others. Each name refers to a distinct regional tradition, but the origin given for this piece is Kashmar. It is important to distinguish that city name from the visual subjects used in the pattern. An archaeological, floral or geometric motif does not by itself establish the rug’s place of origin.

The Persian rug tradition combines careful handwork with the development of complex designs. Production is carried out by hand, and wool is often coloured with natural plant dyes. Floral and geometric forms are characteristic elements of Persian rugs. Kashmar adds another direction to this tradition through the Zirkhaki pattern, which transfers objects from an archaeological visual world into an ordered rug composition.

Design and Pattern

The pattern of this rug is Zirkhaki, also described as a treasure motif. A central medallion forms the focus of the design. Vases, weapons and bowls are arranged around this central element. These objects are not presented as unrelated details but as parts of a deliberately structured composition. The medallion establishes the centre, while the archaeological subjects occupy and animate the surrounding field.

The depiction of archaeological objects gives the pattern a figurative character. Vases and bowls introduce different vessel forms, while weapons represent another group of historical objects. Together, these motifs create a visual language distinct from patterns that rely only on flowers or purely geometric repetition. The treasure motif translates the memory of ancient finds into the ordered medium of a hand-knotted rug.

The arrangement around the medallion is a central principle of the Zirkhaki design. A central field provides a point of reference for the surrounding motifs and helps hold the overall pattern together. The archaeological objects are integrated into a clearly readable composition, while the combination of several object groups keeps the design varied. The visual structure is based on the relationship between the centre, the surrounding objects and their repeated order.

Kashmar rug design has changed over time. The Herati pattern, which was frequently used in the past, and the Sirchaki or Zirkhaki design, which is more common today, represent different emphases within the regional design history. Herati belongs to an established ornamental tradition, whereas Zirkhaki makes archaeological objects its subject. Together, these approaches show that the Kashmar tradition encompasses more than one design direction.

Persian rugs are generally known for complex floral and geometric patterns. The Zirkhaki design expands this range with a figurative world of objects. Those objects remain part of the knotted textile and are built through rows of individual knots rather than through a separate pictorial process. The historical theme and the traditional rug technique are therefore directly connected.

The composition can be read through the relationship between the central medallion and the motifs grouped around it. This hierarchy makes the pattern easy to follow and gives the vases, weapons and bowls their place within the design. The result is both decorative and referential: it recalls archaeological finds while arranging them according to the principles of Persian rug composition.

Special Features

A defining feature of this rug is its Zirkhaki pattern, also called a treasure motif. The depiction of vases, weapons and bowls around a central medallion distinguishes the design from pattern traditions that are primarily floral or geometric. Its archaeological subject gives the rug a figurative focus and a clearly recognisable visual theme.

Other stated features are the hand-knotted construction, the pure virgin-wool pile and the cotton warp. The rug is described as new. Its knot density is approximately 200,000 to 250,000 knots per square metre. Origin, pattern, materials, technique and condition together provide the factual description of this Kashmar Persian rug.

FAQ

Where does this Persian rug come from?

This Persian rug comes from the city of Kashmar in Persia. Kashmar is known for rugs with a broad range of designs. Its regional tradition includes older Herati patterns as well as the Sirchaki or Zirkhaki design that is more common today. Kashmar identifies the city and weaving tradition of origin; it should be distinguished from the subjects depicted in the pattern.

What does the Zirkhaki pattern depict?

The Zirkhaki pattern is known as a treasure motif and depicts ancient archaeological finds. Vases, weapons and bowls are arranged around a central medallion. This creates a composition with a clear centre and several figurative motifs in the surrounding field. The design therefore differs from a pattern based solely on floral ornament or exclusively geometric repetition.

What materials are used in the rug?

The pile is made of pure virgin wool and the warp is made of cotton. The wool forms the visible surface and is used in Persian rugs for its pleasant feel and resilient fibre. Cotton provides the firm foundation beneath it. The rug is hand-knotted and is described as new.