Persian Rug Tabriz ca 296 x 210 cm Wool Hand-knotted

Tabriz Persian Rug

Material and Craftsmanship

This Persian rug from Tabriz is hand-knotted. The stated construction is wool pile on cotton: the pile is made from virgin wool, while cotton is used for the warp. These are the two materials specified for this individual rug. The combination is a familiar technical approach in Persian rug making. Wool can be formed into a resilient pile and accepts colour well, while cotton provides a consistent foundation for the rows of knots.

The listed knot density is approximately 130,000 knots per square metre, corresponding to 25 Radj. In general, a fine knotting allows a weaver to render small ornaments, curved outlines and transitions with greater definition. In a hand-knotted rug, the design is built knot by knot across the prepared warp. The result is therefore a textile made through manual knotting rather than printing or ordinary mechanical weaving. For this rug, the source specifically records the hand-knotted technique, the material combination and the stated knot density.

Virgin wool has a naturally resilient fibre structure. In a rug pile, that characteristic can support a durable surface when the rug is used and cared for appropriately. Cotton serves as the warp foundation and is largely concealed once the pile and weaving process are complete. The evaluation of an individual hand-knotted rug also takes account of its knotting, pile appearance and condition. Here, the supplied description identifies virgin wool on cotton and gives the approximate knot density as the relevant technical information.

The term Radj is used in rug terminology to describe fineness of knotting. It helps place the construction within the vocabulary of Persian weaving and indicates the level of detail that can be supported by the foundation. It is not a substitute for examining the actual surface, but it is a technical classification supplied for this rug. No further information about the yarn source, dye recipes, finishing process or workshop is provided, so those details are not added here.

Origin and Tradition

The source identifies Persia as the origin and Tabriz as the associated place name. Tabriz, also written Täbriz, is a major historic centre of Persian rug production in northwestern Iran. Its position as a commercial and cultural crossroads allowed weaving knowledge, design ideas and materials to circulate through the region. In the language of the rug trade, the name Tabriz therefore refers to a recognisable regional tradition rather than merely to a decorative label.

Tabriz weaving has long been associated with organised workshop production and carefully planned drawing. A design may be prepared as a detailed cartoon, setting out the central medallion, the field, the border sequence and the placement of smaller ornaments. The weaver then transfers that plan into the structure of the rug row by row. This process requires control of the warp, the weft, the knotting rhythm, the colour changes and the final trimming of the pile.

The regional tradition includes several types of composition. Alongside medallion rugs, Tabriz workshops have produced all-over floral arrangements, garden layouts, pictorial scenes and architectural designs. A particular rug may follow one of these established formats or combine elements according to its own drawing. The source gives the pattern of this piece as a Tabriz medallion. That designation is the applicable description here and should not be expanded into motifs that are not documented.

Persian rug making has traditionally depended on the transmission of practical knowledge. Skills include preparing and tensioning the warp, inserting weft, tying the pile knots, securing rows, shaping outlines and levelling the finished surface. Workshop practice can preserve regional conventions while still allowing individual drawings and technical variations. The stated origin places this rug within the Iranian Persian tradition, but it does not identify a specific workshop, weaver, date of manufacture or village.

The fineness notation of 25 Radj is part of the technical vocabulary used to discuss Persian rugs. Such terminology offers a way to compare the density of knotting and the potential scale of detail in a design. The accompanying figure of approximately 130,000 knots per square metre provides the additional information supplied for this piece. Together, these statements describe its recorded construction without establishing any unprovided claim about age, rarity or authorship.

Tabriz rugs also reflect the movement of designs across the Persian textile world. Patterns could be adapted through workshop drawings, trade connections and changing preferences while retaining regional methods of organisation. This explains why a Tabriz medallion can belong to a broad design family while still being an individual hand-knotted work. In this case, the documented identity remains precise: a Persian rug from Tabriz, hand-knotted, with a Tabriz medallion pattern.

The use of Persian wool and cotton foundations is also consistent with the wider technical history of Iranian rug production. Different regions developed their own balances of material, knotting and design, but the underlying process remains one of building a patterned textile from a warp, weft and pile. General knowledge of this tradition provides context for the rug; it does not replace the specific information supplied about the present piece.

Design and Pattern

The pattern is identified as a Tabriz medallion. In a classical Persian composition, a medallion serves as the central organising form of the field. It may be circular, oval, polygonal or assembled from several interlocking shapes. The rest of the drawing is often arranged around it, with axes, pendants or balancing forms creating visual order between the centre and the surrounding field. The label describes the composition type recorded for this rug; it does not by itself specify every colour or ornament.

Symmetry is a common structural principle in medallion designs. It can govern the central shape, the side elements and the distribution of floral or foliate details. Hand knotting gives the outlines a woven character because lines are constructed from successive coloured knots rather than drawn onto a finished surface. The stated fine knot density can generally support narrow curves, small infill ornaments and more articulated transitions. These are characteristics of the technique and design tradition, not additional measurements of this particular rug.

A medallion field is commonly enclosed by one main border and narrower guard borders. The principal border may repeat a scrolling ornament, while the smaller borders clarify the transition from the interior field to the outer edge. In Persian design, borders act as more than a frame: they establish rhythm and connect the different scales of the composition. Vines, leaves and flowers are often used to occupy the spaces between larger forms. The source, however, names only the Tabriz medallion and does not list particular botanical motifs or border patterns.

The supplied description characterises the colours as vivid. Colour in a medallion rug can distinguish the central form from its ground, set the main border apart and establish a hierarchy between large and small elements. The visible effect is also influenced by the direction of the wool pile and by the way light reaches the surface. A hand-knotted pile may appear to change in tone when viewed from opposite directions because the fibres reflect light differently. This is a general property of pile rugs and does not imply a particular palette for this piece.

Persian pattern design often balances repetition with variation. A border ornament can recur at regular intervals, while small differences in hand execution keep the textile from behaving like a mechanically repeated image. Filler motifs can bridge the space around a central form and maintain a continuous relationship between field and border. Such principles help explain the ordered, detailed character associated with medallion compositions. They are background to the named pattern and should not be read as an inventory of unrecorded motifs in this rug.

The name Tabriz medallion consequently conveys two pieces of information: the regional design tradition and the central arrangement of the field. The documented details for this rug are its Persian origin, Tabriz designation, hand-knotted construction, virgin-wool pile on a cotton warp, vivid colours and the medallion pattern. A more specific statement about the ground colour, border, floral vocabulary or drawing would require additional source information.

Because each hand-knotted rug is produced individually, the relationship between drawing and execution is part of its textile character. The cartoon may establish a symmetrical plan, but the final surface is still created by the placement of individual knots and the subsequent finishing of the pile. This combination of planned geometry and manual construction is central to the history of Persian medallion rugs. It provides useful context while keeping the description of this one-off piece within the supplied facts.

Special Features

The condition is described as near mint, with no signs of use. The supplied text also records vivid colours and refers readers to the photographs. These statements concern the visible condition described for this individual rug. They do not establish its age, storage history, previous ownership, restoration history or future performance, because none of those details is provided.

The technical features recorded for the piece are its hand-knotted construction, an approximate density of 130,000 knots per square metre corresponding to 25 Radj, and virgin wool pile on a cotton warp. The named design feature is the Tabriz medallion. The source also states that a video of this rug is available on the dealer’s YouTube channel through the relevant product link.

These details together identify the rug in a factual way: Persian origin, Tabriz designation, hand-knotting, a specified material structure, fine recorded knotting, vivid colours and a near-mint condition description. Since it is a one-off hand-knotted object, the photographs and the referenced video are useful for viewing the actual surface and condition. No additional provenance or technical claims are made beyond the source.

FAQ

Where does this Persian rug come from?

The source gives Persia as the origin and Tabriz as the associated place name. Tabriz is a historic centre of Persian rug production in northwestern Iran, so the rug is described as a Persian rug from Tabriz. The information does not name a particular workshop, weaver, village, production date or individual provenance. Those details cannot be inferred from the regional designation alone.

What materials are used in the rug?

The rug is made with virgin wool on cotton. Virgin wool forms the pile, meaning the visible knotted surface, while cotton is used for the warp that supports the knotting. The source also records an approximate density of 130,000 knots per square metre, corresponding to 25 Radj. No other fibres, percentages or dye materials are specified.

What is the condition of the rug?

The stated condition is near mint, with no signs of use. The description also notes vivid colours and directs attention to the photographs. These statements apply to the condition information supplied for this individual rug. Its age, previous use, restoration, storage and treatment history are not stated, so no further conclusion is added.