Persian Rug Tabriz approx. 332 x 221 cm Hand-knotted (Sold)

Tabriz Persian Rug

Material and Craftsmanship

This hand-knotted Persian rug from Tabriz has a pile made of 100% virgin wool over a warp made of 100% cotton. Wool and cotton have long been used together in Persian rug making because they perform different structural roles. The wool forms the visible surface, receives the dyes and gives the design its tactile presence. The cotton warp provides the underlying framework through which the knots and weft are arranged.

Hand knotting builds the rug one knot at a time. The warp is set up first, then coloured pile yarn is tied along successive rows and secured with weft threads. Once the knotting is complete, the pile is trimmed so that the drawing remains legible. In Tabriz production, this method supports precise outlines and carefully ordered floral details. The rug has a fine recorded knot density, which is consistent with the detailed character associated with Tabriz work, without adding any unrecorded information about individual workshop procedures.

The rug has been professionally washed. It is described as being in good condition, with normal signs of use in the pile. Those traces are part of the condition of this particular piece and can be seen in the photographs. The material description is specific: the pile is 100% virgin wool and the warp is 100% cotton. No other fibre composition is stated.

Origin and Tradition

This rug comes from Tabriz in Iran. The city lies in the northwest of the country near Mount Sahand and has long been one of the important centres of Persian carpet production. Its position on major routes encouraged the movement of merchants, designs and technical knowledge. Tabriz therefore developed a carpet tradition capable of combining a disciplined architectural layout with a wide range of floral, geometric and pictorial ideas.

The history of carpet making in Tabriz reaches back to the Safavid period. During that era, Persian carpets acquired an important place in court culture, and carefully organised compositions with central fields, scrolling vines and ornamental borders became influential models. Tabriz remained a major centre in later periods. Under the Qajar dynasty, the city had particular political importance as a former capital and as the residence of the crown prince. The city’s wider cultural role helped sustain specialised craft production.

Tabriz is associated with master weavers and with a workshop culture that gives close attention to drawing. A design may be planned around a central medallion, a continuous field of vines or a more elaborate scene. The weaver follows a prepared structure while translating it into rows of individual knots. This makes it possible to establish clear symmetry, fine contours and controlled transitions between the field and the border. Different workshops and periods naturally produce different expressions within the broader Tabriz tradition.

This particular rug is described as a semi-antique Tabriz medallion rug from the 1970s and as dating from before the Iranian Revolution of 1978. The term semi-antique provides a period classification and does not present the rug as an older historical antique. Its Iranian origin makes it a Persian rug. Tabriz identifies the regional source, while the medallion identifies the arrangement of the design; the two terms should not be confused.

Design and Pattern

The pattern is identified as a Lachak-Toranj Tabriz medallion. Toranj is the Persian term for a medallion, the central form that organises the visual structure. Lachak refers to the corner sections related to that central form. In a medallion composition, the centre, the corner pieces and the surrounding field work together to create balance across the surface.

The central medallion establishes the main axis of the design. Traditional Tabriz drawings may surround such a form with curling vines, leaves, blossoms and finely articulated outlines. The corner pieces echo the geometry or botanical vocabulary of the centre, helping the pattern extend towards the border. Open spaces between the motifs are also important: they separate the elements and allow the principal form to remain readable rather than becoming lost among the surrounding detail.

The border frames the composition and provides a transition between the central field and the outer edge. Tabriz rugs often use a broad main border accompanied by narrower guard borders. These bands may repeat elements from the field, allowing the design to read as a coherent whole. The border is not merely a margin; it controls the rhythm of the pattern and gives the eye a defined route around the medallion.

The colour combination of this rug is described as rare. That statement concerns the particular grouping of colours within the design. Colour in a Persian rug depends not only on individual shades but also on how they are distributed between the ground, medallion, corner pieces and borders. Contrasting outlines can sharpen the separation between motifs, while related tones can create continuity from one pattern zone to another. The unusual combination is therefore part of the rug’s stated design character.

Tabriz carpets are known for their broad design vocabulary. Alongside medallions, the regional tradition includes scrolling floral compositions, Herati and Mahi designs, figural scenes and representations with a three-dimensional impression. This variety means that Tabriz is not the name of one fixed pattern. For this rug, the specific description is Lachak-Toranj with a Tabriz medallion. Other designs belong to the general history of Tabriz weaving and are not claims about this particular piece.

Special Features

The documented special features are its semi-antique classification, its origin in Tabriz, its dating to the 1970s before the Iranian Revolution of 1978, and its Lachak-Toranj medallion. The colour combination is described as rare. The rug has been professionally washed and is in good condition. Normal wear is present in the pile and is visible in the photographs. These points describe the offered rug itself rather than a general category.

Its hand-knotted construction, virgin-wool pile and cotton warp connect the material structure with the traditional Tabriz design language. The medallion creates a defined centre, while the corner elements and borders extend the composition around it. The semi-antique classification adds a time period to the description without presenting the rug as an ancient historical piece.

FAQ

What does a Tabriz medallion design mean?

A Tabriz medallion design is a composition from the Tabriz tradition in which a central toranj, or medallion, organises the rug’s pattern. Lachak refers to the corner sections that relate to the centre. Floral lines, secondary motifs and borders are arranged around this structure to form a connected and generally balanced design. Tabriz names the regional tradition, while medallion describes the pattern layout.

What materials are used in this rug?

The pile is made of 100% virgin wool, and the warp is made of 100% cotton. The wool is the visible, coloured surface created by the knots. The cotton warp forms the foundation that supports the knot rows and the weft. These are the material details given for this particular rug, and they are listed separately because pile and warp have different functions in a hand-knotted construction.

What is the condition of the rug?

The rug is in good condition and has been professionally washed. Normal signs of use are present in the pile, and they can be seen in the photographs. The description of the rug as semi-antique and from the 1970s establishes its period classification; it is separate from the condition assessment. The visible pile wear is therefore included as part of the honest description of the offered piece.