Persian Rug Moud 305 x 210 cm Wool Hand-knotted (Sold)

Moud Persian Rug

Material and Craftsmanship

This Moud Persian rug is hand-knotted. Its pile is made of 100% virgin wool, while the warp consists of 100% cotton. The combination of a wool pile with a cotton foundation is a traditional feature of Moud rugs. Wool is used for the pile because it forms a durable surface suited to a closely knotted textile. Cotton provides the foundation on which the knots are built. The resulting structure allows the design to be created knot by knot rather than by an automated production process.

Moud rugs are made with the asymmetrical Persian knot. For experienced weavers, this knot offers the precision needed for intricate and detailed ornament. The work is carried out at a loom through a sequence of manual operations. Moud rugs are traditionally made with two weft threads. Warp, wefts and pile are brought together to form the finished textile, while the individual knots establish the pattern across the surface.

The short description gives this rug a knot density of approximately 350,000 knots per square metre. The general description of Moud rugs identifies 220,000 to 450,000 knots per square metre as a high range. The individual figure for this rug is therefore the approximately 350,000 knots per square metre recorded in its product details. Its stated wool pile, cotton warp and hand-knotted construction define the material and technical information available for this one piece.

Origin and Tradition

Moud is a town in the Persian province of Khorassan. The source connects Moud rugs with Mashhad, a major weaving and trading centre for rugs made in the city and in surrounding towns and villages. Moud lies south of Birdjan and Mashhad. The region has a long history of rug weaving and has developed a recognisable local vocabulary of patterns. Moud rugs have been known in the antiques trade since the turn of the twentieth century.

In Mashhad, rugs have been produced both in urban workshops and, on occasion, on household looms. This combination of workshop and domestic production forms part of the wider craft environment associated with the region. Moud rugs share some characteristics with rugs made in Birjand, while remaining a distinct group within the Khorassan tradition. They were produced in substantial quantities for the domestic market and for western buyers, especially for middle-class use.

Persian rug weaving is based on regional patterns, established construction methods and knowledge passed from one generation of weavers to the next. Moud weaving uses the asymmetrical Persian knot because it supports precise rendering of complicated motifs. Knot density develops through a slow manual process and is therefore an important technical consideration when a rug is assessed. It is considered alongside origin, material, pattern, colour, age and condition rather than in isolation.

Early Moud weavings are described in the source as being of secondary quality in comparison with Meshad Khorassan rugs. After the Second World War, some Moud weavers moved away from traditional designs. They also produced rugs resembling those of other Persian weaving regions in order to meet demand from domestic and international export customers. This history accounts for the presence of both traditional Moud compositions and designs influenced by other Persian centres under the broader Moud name.

The general description places Moud Khorassan rugs across a wide range of formats, from small examples to pieces intended for large rooms. Their traditional construction remains associated with a cotton foundation, a wool pile and the asymmetrical Persian knot. Silk is sometimes used in Moud rugs to increase the lustre of the pile, but it is not essential. For this rug, the recorded materials are specifically virgin wool in the pile and cotton in the warp.

Design and Pattern

The pattern of this rug is identified as the Herati fish pattern, also called Mahi. Herati is described as a dominant and immediately recognisable Moud pattern. In many examples it occupies most of the field. Its name refers to the fish forms that appear among leaves, vines and other vegetal details. In the Persian design vocabulary, Mahi is the term associated with this fish-pattern tradition.

Herati compositions belong to the floral pattern families of Persian rugs. Some versions are organised around a central medallion, while others distribute the ornament throughout the field as an all-over design. Moud rugs may also feature Shah Abbas palmettes with leaves and vines, Boteh or paisley motifs, lattice patterns and Minakhani arrangements in which rosettes are linked by trellis-like lines. These are general elements of the Moud design tradition and do not add unrecorded motifs to this individual rug.

Moud borders often draw on traditional Khorassan ornament. Large palmettes, leaves and vines may be arranged in ordered bands around the field. Some Moud rugs have small rectangular border panels containing motifs associated with Persian gardens; the source also links such motifs with Bakhtiari rugs. Other examples have a central medallion recalling a star or a hexagon. For this piece, the documented pattern information is limited to the Herati fish design, or Mahi.

Granate red is often associated with the field of Moud rugs and is connected in the general description with cochineal. Border grounds, pattern details and outlines may also use different reds, blues, beiges, golds, greens, cinnamon tones, browns and greys. Some Moud rugs instead have a dark blue field. The regional palette also includes strong blue and red combinations against an ivory-coloured ground. These are characteristic possibilities within the Moud tradition, not additional colour claims about this particular rug.

The Herati pattern is especially important in Moud weaving because it combines a regular surface order with the movement of plant forms. Repeated leaves, vines and fish motifs can guide the eye through the field, while the border gives the composition a defined frame. The visual structure depends on the relationship between ground, ornament and line. Hand-knotting allows these details to be built gradually into the pile, with the asymmetrical Persian knot supporting the fine articulation of the design.

Special Features

The specific features recorded for this piece are its hand-knotted construction, 100% virgin wool pile, 100% cotton warp, knot density of approximately 350,000 knots per square metre and Herati fish pattern Mahi. Its condition is described as near mint. The material combination corresponds to the traditional Moud construction of cotton foundation and wool pile. The asymmetrical Persian knot and the use of two weft threads belong to the technical tradition associated with Moud rugs.

In general, a hand-knotted rug is assessed through its origin, knot density, materials, colours, pattern, age, condition, originality and the character of its design. Rarity, supply and demand also influence how a piece is positioned in the market. For this rug, the documented origin of Moud, its stated construction, the Herati pattern and its near-mint condition are the relevant identified characteristics.

FAQ

What determines the value of a hand-knotted rug?

The value of a hand-knotted rug is shaped by several factors. These include its origin and regional tradition, the type and fineness of the knotting, the materials, colours and design, as well as age and condition. Originality, style, aesthetic character and the skill visible in the pattern also matter. Rarity, availability and market demand have an additional influence. For this Moud rug, the recorded knot density, virgin wool pile, cotton warp, Herati pattern and near-mint condition are the stated characteristics relevant to its assessment.

How can a hand-knotted rug be identified?

A hand-knotted rug is made on a specially designed loom, with the knots inserted by hand. The knots create the pile and are secured row by row through the relationship between warp and weft. A machine-made rug is produced on a fully automated loom operated by mechanical or computerised controls. Hand-made rugs frequently use wool, whereas machine-made products more often contain synthetic materials. The structure, the signs of manual work and the way the knots connect with the warp and wefts provide useful points of distinction. The hand-knotted construction of this rug is expressly recorded.

Which materials are used in Moud rugs?

Moud rugs traditionally have a cotton foundation and a wool pile. Silk may be added in some examples to enhance the lustre of the pile, but it is not a requirement of Moud weaving. In this rug, the pile is 100% virgin wool and the warp is 100% cotton. The two materials are stated separately because the pile is the visible surface, while the warp forms part of the supporting foundation. Together with the asymmetrical Persian knot and the use of two weft threads, these materials place the rug within the technical tradition of Moud weaving.