Persian Rug Tabriz 268 x 167 cm Wool Hand-knotted

Tabriz Persian Rug

Material and Craftsmanship

This semi-antique Persian rug from Tabriz is hand-knotted. In this traditional method, the pile is built directly into the foundation rather than applied to an already completed surface. Individual knots are secured around the warp, while weft threads stabilise the rows. The work proceeds gradually across the rug, with the visible design and the textile structure developing together. Hand-knotting therefore links the decorative drawing to the physical construction of the piece.

The pile is made of 100% virgin wool. Wool has long been used for rug pile because its fibres are resilient, flexible and suitable for repeated handling. It can absorb dye evenly and provides a naturally textured surface. The feel and appearance of a wool pile can also change slightly with the direction in which the fibres lie. These qualities make wool a traditional material for Persian rugs intended to combine ornament with a durable textile surface.

The warp is made of 100% cotton. Warp threads run lengthwise through the foundation and provide the framework to which the pile knots are attached. Cotton is often selected for this structural role because it offers a regular and stable base. The pile and the warp consequently have distinct functions: virgin wool forms the visible surface, while cotton supports the underlying construction.

The rug is described with a knot density of approximately 100,000 knots per square metre. In general, a dense knotting structure helps a weaver render narrow contours, small floral details and gradual changes in an ornament. This is particularly useful in designs made from scrolling stems and repeated leaves. Knot density is a technical characteristic of construction; it does not by itself determine the complete appearance of a rug, which also depends on the drawing, the yarn and the organisation of the field.

The combination of wool pile and cotton warp is part of the established material vocabulary of Persian workshop rugs. It brings a resilient natural fibre to the surface and a firm textile foundation beneath it. The documented construction details for this piece are its hand-knotted technique, its virgin-wool pile, its cotton warp, its semi-antique classification and its stated knot density. No further information about the exact knot type or the foundation weave is given.

Origin and Tradition

The rug comes from Persia, specifically from Tabriz. Tabriz is located in north-western Iran and is one of the historic centres of Persian carpet weaving. Its position connected the Iranian plateau with the Caucasus, Anatolia and regions farther east. The city developed as an important commercial and cultural crossroads, allowing patterns, fibres, dyes and weaving knowledge to circulate. This setting contributed to the variety of designs associated with Tabriz.

Tabriz has a long workshop tradition rather than a single, unchanging style. Weavers from the area produced compositions with central medallions, continuously ornamented fields, floral scrolls and carefully arranged borders. The regional repertoire also includes pictorial and architectural subjects. Many Tabriz designs are known for controlled drawing, especially in the way curved stems, leaves and blossoms are fitted together. Fine line work can create a richly detailed surface while preserving a clear relationship between the parts of the composition.

The cultural environment of Tabriz includes Persian, Azerbaijani and Caucasian influences. These connections affected the development and transmission of ornamental forms. Older Persian motifs could be retained, simplified, enlarged or combined with other elements in response to changing workshop practices and markets. The result is a regional tradition with many variations. A Tabriz rug is therefore identified by its connection to a weaving centre, not by one compulsory layout or one fixed selection of motifs.

Names used in Persian carpet terminology often distinguish between origin and design. Tabriz refers to the place associated with production, while Mahi refers to a pattern family. The same regional centre can produce rugs with different designs, and related pattern ideas can occur in more than one weaving tradition. For this piece, the two terms have complementary roles: it is a rug from Tabriz and its design is the Mahi fish pattern. The pattern name does not replace the origin name.

The rug was made around 1970 and is described as semi-antique. This places it within a relatively recent historical generation of hand-knotted Persian rugs. During this period, established workshop methods continued to be used while designs could be adapted for new interiors, customers and routes of trade. A semi-antique classification describes the rug’s age category. It does not imply an older historical date, and it does not add information about ownership or previous use.

Traditional Persian rug production involves a sequence of related skills. A design may be prepared before the weaving begins, and the foundation must be arranged so that the intended drawing can be carried out in rows. The weaver interprets the design one section at a time, building colour changes and contours through individual knots. After the knotting is complete, finishing processes can include trimming and washing. The precise organisation of these tasks has varied between households, villages and workshops.

In Tabriz, the relationship between drawing and execution is especially important for detailed compositions. A floral line must be planned so that it can be represented by the available knot structure. A leaf is not simply painted onto the surface; its outline is built through successive changes in knot colour and position. This makes the carpet both an image and a woven object. Regional tradition is therefore visible not only in the selected ornament but also in the discipline of translating that ornament into a durable textile.

The history of Tabriz weaving also illustrates how Persian carpet traditions can remain recognisable while continuing to change. Motifs may be inherited from earlier compositions, but their scale, spacing and combination can be redrawn. Workshop production allows a familiar pattern family to be interpreted in more than one way. The Mahi design belongs to this broader history of adaptation. Its presence on a Tabriz rug connects a recognisable Persian ornament with the drawing practices of a major north-western weaving centre.

Design and Pattern

The design of this rug is the Tabriz Mahi fish pattern. Mahi is the Persian word for fish. In carpet ornament, the word refers to a stylised motif rather than necessarily to a literal underwater scene. A common Mahi unit combines a central floral element with two curved leaves or leaf-like shapes. These paired forms can suggest fish, while stems, blossoms and smaller leaves complete the surrounding ornament.

Mahi is generally used as a repeating pattern. A repeat consists of a design unit that returns across the field and creates a visual rhythm. The units may be placed closely together, connected by scrolling stems or arranged with more open intervals. Repetition gives the composition continuity, while the changing direction of curves prevents it from appearing like a simple mechanical grid. The pattern is read as a network of related forms rather than as a series of unrelated symbols.

The term fish pattern is based on the appearance of the stylised leaves. Persian carpet design often transforms natural forms into repeatable shapes through abstraction. Leaves can be mirrored, elongated or turned around a flower. Stems can be extended so that one ornament leads into the next. The resulting drawing is not a botanical illustration. It is a visual system in which recognisable references to nature are arranged according to balance, symmetry and repetition.

The effect of a Mahi design depends on the relationship between line, motif and ground. Curving stems direct the eye through the field. Leaves establish pairs and counter-directions, while flowers and smaller elements distinguish one part of the repeat from another. The background provides the space against which the ornament can be read. When the elements are densely arranged, the field can appear richly articulated; when they are more widely spaced, the overall rhythm becomes easier to follow.

Tabriz Mahi designs can be organised in different ways. Some versions use an all-over field in which the repeat continues from one side to the other. Other versions may combine the motif with a central medallion, corner elements and a separate border system. The particular division of a rug must be taken from its visible composition. For this rug, the recorded pattern description is the Tabriz Mahi fish pattern. No additional claim is made about a medallion, border arrangement or exact colour sequence.

The hand-knotted technique is well suited to this type of ornament. The design is divided into small areas that can be represented by individual knots. A curved outline is formed through many small changes rather than through one continuous drawn line. A dense knot structure generally gives the weaver more opportunity to represent narrow contours and small transitions. The recognisable character of Mahi, however, comes from the arrangement of the paired leaf forms and floral network, not from knot density alone.

Mahi belongs to the wider Persian practice of turning natural forms into textile grammar. The motif can suggest leaves, flowers, fish and movement at the same time. This layered reading allows the design to remain decorative without telling a literal story. The repetition establishes order, the curves provide movement, and the secondary details create variation within the pattern. Such principles occur throughout Persian rug design, while the specific drawing associated with Tabriz gives this version its regional identity.

Pattern names should also be read carefully in relation to place names. Mahi identifies the decorative language, whereas Tabriz identifies the weaving origin described for this rug. A reference to Mahi does not turn a rug from another place into a Tabriz rug, and the word Tabriz does not mean that every Tabriz rug has a Mahi design. Here the origin and the pattern are both explicitly part of the description, with each term retaining its separate meaning.

Special Features

The rug is in very good condition. It has been professionally washed and treated against moths. Professional washing is a care process intended to clean the textile surface and refresh the pile. Moth protection is an additional treatment directed at safeguarding the material from moth-related damage. These measures describe the care carried out on this piece and should be distinguished from the hand-knotting process through which it was originally made.

This semi-antique hand-knotted Persian rug from Tabriz combines production around 1970 with the Mahi fish pattern. Its pile is made of 100% virgin wool and its warp of 100% cotton. The stated knot density describes an aspect of its construction. Beyond these documented characteristics, no claims are made here about earlier owners, former rooms, repairs, use history or additional provenance.

FAQ

Where does the rug come from?

The rug comes from Persia, specifically from Tabriz in north-western Iran. Tabriz is a historic centre of Persian carpet weaving with traditions that include floral compositions, medallion designs and repeating ornamental fields. For this piece, Tabriz identifies the place of origin. Mahi fish pattern is the name of the design and should be understood separately from the origin.

What does the Mahi fish pattern mean?

Mahi means fish in Persian. In rug design, Mahi describes a stylised ornament made from curved leaves, flowers and scrolling stems. Paired leaf forms can resemble fish, which explains the name. The pattern does not require a naturalistic depiction of fish; it is a traditional ornamental arrangement that is often repeated across a field. This rug carries the Tabriz Mahi fish pattern.

What materials are used in the rug?

The pile is made of 100% virgin wool, and the warp is made of 100% cotton. Wool forms the visible surface of the hand-knotted rug, while cotton provides the supporting longitudinal foundation to which the knots are attached. The rug is also described with a knot density of approximately 100,000 knots per square metre. It is in very good condition, has been professionally washed and has received moth protection treatment.