Persian Rug Moud 335 x 210 cm Wool Silk Hand-knotted

Moud Persian Rug

Material and Craftsmanship

This Moud Persian rug is hand-knotted. Its pile is made of 100% wool & silk, while the warp is 100% cotton. The material description therefore combines a wool and silk pile with a cotton foundation. Cotton is the customary foundation described for Moud rugs. Wool forms the principal pile material, while silk may be introduced into Moud weaving to bring additional sheen to selected pile areas and fine design details.

Experienced craftspeople make Moud rugs with the asymmetrical Persian knot. This knot provides the precision needed for complicated and detailed patterns. The method supports clear rendering of floral forms, fish motifs, leaves, vines and medallions. Moud rugs are also made with two weft threads. The combination of a cotton foundation, a wool and silk pile, two weft threads and the asymmetrical Persian knot describes the traditional construction associated with this weaving group.

The product has a knot density of 300000/Qm. Moud rugs vary considerably in quality, and a high knot density requires time because many individual knots are needed to build the pattern. Early Moud weavings are described as secondary in quality when compared with Meshad-Khorasan rugs. Moud rugs were also produced in substantial quantities for the domestic and Western markets. Their construction and design can therefore be understood within both a workshop tradition and a wider commercial history.

Origin and Tradition

Moud rugs are hand-knotted in the city of Mashad in the province of Khorassan. Mashad is a major weaving and trading centre. It serves not only as a place where rugs are made, but also as a market for pieces produced in neighbouring towns and villages. Moud belongs to the Khorassan tradition, where production and trade have long been closely connected. Moud lies south of Birdjan and Mashad and has a long history of rug weaving.

Moud rugs have been known in the antique trade since the beginning of the twentieth century. Most were woven in workshops in the city, although Moud rugs made on home looms can also be found. These two settings reflect the range of traditional production in the region. The group is recognisable through its characteristic designs, but individual rugs can differ in quality, colour arrangement and pattern structure.

Moud rugs share certain features with rugs made in Birjand. At the same time, Moud developed its own established design language within the wider Persian weaving tradition. After the Second World War, some weavers moved away from traditional Moud patterns. They also made rugs resembling those from other Persian weaving areas in order to meet demand from domestic buyers and foreign export customers. This period added further variety to the designs associated with Moud.

The city of Moud has built its reputation on a long weaving tradition and distinctive designs. Rugs from the area were produced for the local market as well as for Western markets. Birdshand and Kashmar are named as other rugs from this Persian region. The name Moud therefore identifies a weaving tradition connected with Mashad and Khorassan, rather than a single uniform pattern or one fixed level of quality.

The technical tradition is closely connected to the detailed character of Moud drawing. The asymmetrical Persian knot allows weavers to place and define intricate elements with precision. In finer examples, silk can be worked into individual details to enhance the way the pile catches light. This use of silk does not change the origin of the rug; it is a material choice within the Moud tradition. Wool and silk in the pile and cotton in the warp are the materials recorded for this rug.

Design and Pattern

The pattern of this rug is described as floral, fish with medallion. It combines floral drawing with the fish motif of the Herati design and a central medallion. Herati is considered the dominant and immediately recognisable pattern of Moud rugs. In many examples it occupies most of the surface. The fish form is accompanied by leaves and vines, creating a repeated structure across the field.

Some Moud rugs also feature a central medallion resembling a star or a hexagon. The medallion gives the field a central point of organisation and forms a second focus alongside the floral fish design. Moud patterns appear both as medallion compositions and as allover arrangements. The pattern recorded here specifically identifies the combination of floral fish elements and a medallion.

Other field patterns used in Moud weaving include Boteh, also called Paisley, lattice designs and Minakhani. In Minakhani compositions, rosettes are linked by trellis-like structures. The Shah Abbas palmette, accompanied by leaves and vines, is another popular Moud pattern. These forms may cover a field in a regular arrangement or appear as individual elements within a more complex floral composition.

The border has its own Khorassan vocabulary. Large palmettes, leaves and vines are traditional border elements. Small rectangular borders may also contain motifs taken from Persian gardens. In the described tradition, similar garden motifs are otherwise associated with Bachtiari rugs. Borders frame the central field, repeat selected floral forms and create a visual transition between the main drawing and the outer edge.

Granate red is the usual colour characteristic for the field of a Moud rug, with the red traditionally associated with cochineal. A smaller proportion of Moud rugs instead has a dark blue field. Borders, pattern elements and outlines may include different reds, blues, beiges, golds, greens, cinnamon tones, browns and greys. Strong blue and red areas are frequently described in Moud weaving. An ivory-coloured ground can provide contrast and make the colours stand out more clearly. This is general Moud colour tradition and does not add colours to the description of this individual rug.

Floral drawing and the Herati motif are central to the Moud design tradition. A medallion establishes a centre, while fish, leaf and vine forms create movement around it. Palmettes and garden references can add further layers in fields and borders. The asymmetrical Persian knot supports the precise execution of such details. Silk used in fine elements can make differences in surface sheen visible, while the wool pile provides the main material basis of the design.

Special Features

The listed knot density is 300000/Qm. The rug is described as like new. Its pile consists of 100% wool & silk and its warp of 100% cotton. As a Moud Persian rug, it belongs to the Persian weaving tradition connected with Mashad and Khorassan. The recorded pattern, floral fish with medallion, brings together the principal visible design references given for this individual piece.

The combination of a central medallion and the fish-related Herati motif fits within the established Moud pattern tradition. Herati is one of the dominant designs associated with this origin. Moud weaving also includes palmettes, leaves, vines, Boteh, lattice and Minakhani patterns. For this one-off rug, however, the specific pattern information is floral fish with medallion. The other motifs explain the regional background and are not additional claims about this rug.

The material combination joins a wool and silk pile to a cotton warp. Silk is often used in Moud rugs to increase the sheen of the pile and highlight individual details, although it is not required in every Moud rug. In this piece, silk is explicitly listed as part of the pile. Its hand-knotted construction and use of the asymmetrical Persian knot reflect the traditional technical basis of Moud weaving.

FAQ

What are the characteristic features of Moud rugs?

Moud rugs are hand-knotted in Mashad in Khorassan. Their characteristic features include the asymmetrical Persian knot and floral patterns such as the Shah Abbas palmette. The Herati pattern is especially important and often covers a large part of the surface. Granate red is the usual field colour, although dark blue also occurs. Moud rugs range from small pieces to large room rugs. Their traditional construction uses a cotton foundation and a wool pile, while silk may be added to emphasise the sheen.

Which traditional patterns are used in Moud rugs?

Traditional field patterns include Boteh, or Paisley, Herati with its fish motif, lattice designs and Minakhani with rosettes joined by trellis-like forms. The Shah Abbas palmette with leaves and vines is another established design. Borders use Khorassan patterns with large palmettes, leaves and vines. Small rectangular borders may show motifs from Persian gardens. Moud rugs are made with a cotton foundation, a wool pile and the asymmetrical Persian knot.

What is the importance of the city of Moud in rug production?

Moud lies south of Birdjan and Mashad and is known for a long-standing weaving tradition. The city is associated with distinctive designs and Persian rugs from the Khorassan area. Moud rugs were produced in city workshops and, occasionally, on home looms. Their quality, size and colour arrangements vary. Silk elements are often used to increase the sheen of the pile. After the Second World War, some weavers adapted traditional designs to meet demand in the domestic market and from foreign export customers.