Persian Rug Tabriz 300×200 cm Wool Hand-knotted (Sold)

Täbriz Persian Rug

Material and Craftsmanship

This Persian rug is hand-knotted with a pile made from virgin wool containing silk. Cotton is specified as the foundation material. This combination reflects a familiar material structure in hand-knotted oriental rugs: the pile forms the visible and tactile surface, while the warp provides the textile framework into which the knots are worked. Virgin wool is valued in rug making for its resilient fibre and substantial handle. Silk within a wool pile can add finer accents and help define small details in the drawing.

The knot density is given as approximately 360,000 knots per square metre, corresponding to 42 Raj. A density of this kind allows small ornamental forms to be rendered with separated contours and detailed internal lines. In hand-knotting, each knot is placed individually around the foundation threads. The weaver builds the rug row by row, creating a patterned textile in which the design is part of the construction rather than an image applied to the surface. The medallion and fish motifs therefore depend on the careful placement of many individual knots.

Cotton provides the stated base for the pile. In traditional rug construction, cotton is commonly used for warp and weft because it offers a firm, comparatively stable framework for the knotting process. Wool gives the surface its body, while the silk content can contribute a more delicate quality to selected parts of the design. These comments describe the roles of the named fibres; the source does not specify any additional backing, treatment, or material.

Hand-knotting also means that small variations can be part of the character of an individually made textile. The structure is produced through repeated manual work rather than a uniform industrial process. At the same time, the stated density indicates a finely worked construction. The material information remains specific: virgin wool with silk in the pile and cotton as the foundation.

Origin and Tradition

The rug comes from Persia and is associated with Täbriz. Täbriz is one of the important centres of Persian rug production. The city lies in the northwest of present-day Iran and has long been a meeting point for trade, culture, and artistic exchange. That setting contributed to a workshop tradition in which carefully ordered compositions, fine ornament, and clearly articulated drawing became important features of rug design.

Täbriz rugs are traditionally associated with a strong sense of composition. A central medallion may organise the field, with surrounding ornament and borders supporting the main structure. Such designs can appear highly symmetrical, while still allowing considerable detail within each individual motif. The weaver works from a visual plan and translates it into rows of coloured knots, so the finished surface combines an overall architectural order with numerous small decisions in line and form.

The regional tradition developed through the interaction of workshop production, drawing, and an inherited repertoire of motifs. Täbriz weaving has included rugs made for different settings and purposes, and its output cannot be reduced to one single visual formula. Medallions, floral scrolls, geometric divisions, and stylised symbolic forms all occur within the broader tradition. What links many examples is the effort to maintain a legible overall design while giving the details a precise and disciplined treatment.

In this piece, Täbriz is the origin designation and Mahi is the pattern designation. They should not be treated as interchangeable terms. Mahi is a motif known within Persian rug design, while Täbriz identifies the regional weaving tradition connected with the rug. Patterns can travel between regions and be adapted by different workshops; the name of a motif therefore does not by itself establish where a particular rug was made.

The stated knot density also relates to the technical vocabulary used for Persian rugs. Raj, or Radj, is a traditional way of describing fineness by counting knots across a defined length. The given 42 Raj therefore complements the knot-density information. It describes the fineness of the construction rather than serving as a pattern name or a separate origin claim. The combination of a fine knot count and a detailed medallion design reflects the importance of precise drawing within the Täbriz tradition.

Persian rug traditions are transmitted through repeated forms, workshop knowledge, and practical experience. A design may retain recognisable elements while changing in scale, line, or arrangement from one rug to another. This is especially relevant to medallion patterns, where the central form establishes a framework but the surrounding field and border determine the individual reading of the composition. The rug remains specifically identified as Persian and Täbriz, with its Mahi pattern named separately.

Design and Pattern

The pattern is described as a Täbriz medallion fish design, also known as Mahi. A medallion composition organises the field around a central form. The centre establishes a visual axis and gives the surrounding ornament a structural relationship. The effect comes from the interaction of the central medallion, the field around it, and the border system, rather than from one isolated decorative element.

Mahi means fish and refers to a stylised ornament in Persian carpet design. The fish is not necessarily a naturalistic image. It may appear as a small repeated shape within a scrolling vine, as a paired element, or as part of a larger floral construction. Once repeated, the form creates a visual rhythm across the field. Its identity is carried by the relationship between curved lines, pointed leaves, and the compact body of the stylised fish motif.

Mahi patterns are often associated with dense vegetal drawing. Fish forms can be placed along vines and combined with leaves, blossoms, and branching lines. The resulting arrangement may read as a continuous repeat rather than a series of separate illustrations. Such a design requires enough clarity for closely placed motifs to remain distinguishable. The fine knotting specified for this rug supports detailed rendering as a technical possibility, but it does not establish colours or structural elements that are not named in the description.

The Täbriz medallion brings a centralised composition together with the Mahi ornament. The medallion gives the rug an overall framework, while the fish motifs and their connected vegetal lines provide movement within that framework. Persian ornament traditionally relies on repetition, balance, and controlled variation. A motif can recur across the field while small changes in line and placement keep the design from appearing mechanically empty.

The pattern name also illustrates why origin and design must be read separately. Mahi identifies the fish ornament, not a province. Täbriz identifies the regional association of this Persian rug. This distinction matters because familiar Persian motifs have been interpreted in more than one weaving area. Here, the two terms work together without making the motif itself a separate claim of origin: the rug is a Täbriz Persian rug with a medallion Mahi design.

At a broader level, medallion rugs use a central focus to organise visual attention, while repeating motifs help connect the centre with the surrounding field. The Mahi vocabulary contributes a sense of continuity through its recurring forms. This balance between an ordered centre and active interior ornament is characteristic of many Persian design approaches, although individual rugs differ in drawing, density, and arrangement. The named design is therefore both structured and richly articulated in its ornamental logic.

Special Features

The specific features recorded for this one-off rug are its hand-knotted construction, its virgin-wool pile with silk content, its cotton foundation, and its Täbriz medallion Mahi pattern. It is in very good condition, with minimal signs of use, and it has been freshly washed. These statements describe the materials, workmanship, design, and condition identified for this rug; no further restoration or special treatment is specified.

The combination of a fine knot density and a detailed fish motif is particularly relevant to the way the surface is made and read. Wool, silk, and cotton have distinct roles in the construction, while the medallion and Mahi ornament provide the visual organisation. The condition description indicates limited visible use and recent washing, without adding an unsupported history of ownership or age.

FAQ

Where does the rug come from?

The rug comes from Persia and is associated with Täbriz. Täbriz is a major centre of Persian rug making in the northwest of present-day Iran. The origin designation refers to this regional tradition. It should be distinguished from Mahi, which names the fish pattern. The two terms describe different aspects of the rug: Täbriz its origin and Mahi its design vocabulary.

What does Mahi mean?

Mahi is the name of a fish pattern in Persian carpet design. The fish forms are stylised ornaments rather than necessarily naturalistic depictions. They can be linked with vines, leaves, and other vegetal details to form a repeated or flowing arrangement. On this rug, the Mahi motif appears within a Täbriz medallion composition, in which the central medallion organises the field and the fish ornaments shape its internal drawing.

What materials is the rug made from?

The pile is made from virgin wool with silk content. Cotton is specified as the foundation material. Wool forms the visible textile surface, silk contributes to the named fibre blend and can support fine detail, and cotton belongs to the structural base of the rug. No other material information is provided in the description.