Tabriz workshops in northwestern Iran formalised the medallion-and-corner composition that defined Persian classical rug weaving from the sixteenth century onward. The central medallion read as a dome reflected on the surface of a pool, and the four corner pieces completed the architectural quotation. The pattern has been continuously woven for five hundred years.

The loom carried this piece for several months. Hand-tied knots at approximately 220 per square inch on a cotton foundation. Hand-spun wool dyed in small lots from madder root, indigo, oak gall, and walnut hull, each batch matured in copper vats for two to three weeks before the wool was lowered.

The composition

Stylised flowers float across the ground in a loose all-over repeat. The black grounds the composition; the ivory works as relief above it. Madder reds carry warmth across the field while indigo guard bands hold the edges. A vegetable-dyed wool rug does not arrive complete; it arrives ready to settle.

What you are buying

Antique Heriz and Serapi pieces with comparable drawing and condition trade at international auction in the range of $15,000 to $40,000. New weaving in the same tradition, to the same density, on a cotton foundation, exists for a fraction of that number because the production economy is intact. The rug appreciates with use rather than depreciating.

The piece in a room

At the size as listed, the rug works as the central composition of a room arranged around it. Mid-tone walls hold the saturation. The black carries warmth into the architecture without competing with upholstery or art.

Conservation

Rotate a half turn each spring and autumn so light and traffic age the rug evenly. Vacuum weekly with suction only, beater bar disengaged. Blot spills with a clean cotton cloth without rubbing. Hand-wash by a wool-trained conservator every five years. Cared for this way, the rug runs eighty to a hundred years and outlives its first owner.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted wool on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: size as listed
• Construction: Persian asymmetric knot
• Pile: 10 mm, hand-spun wool
• Dye: vegetable (madder, indigo, oak gall, walnut hull)
• Origin: India

Free UK delivery. 14-day returns. Authentic hand-knotted craftsmanship. Crated for safe transit and storage.