Persian Rug Tabriz 307 x 208 cm Wool Hand-knotted

Tabriz Persian Rug

Material and Craftsmanship

This Persian rug from Tabriz is hand-knotted. Its pile is made from 100% virgin wool, while the warp is made from 100% cotton. The two material areas are therefore distinct: virgin wool forms the visible pile, and cotton is used for the supporting warp structure.

Hand-knotting is a gradual process in which individual knots are tied into the stretched warp. Rows are built up one after another, with weft and pile working together to form the finished textile. The knotting process calls for steady tension, consistent placement and close attention to the design. Once the knotting is complete, the pile can be trimmed to create an even surface.

Urban Tabriz weaving is associated with precise outlines and carefully developed ornament. Small flowers, scrolling vines, medallions and borders must remain distinguishable within the composition. A relatively dense construction can support fine detail, while the final appearance also depends on the weaver’s control of the knotting, the drawing and the pile finishing.

The long description gives this rug a knot density of approximately 200,000 to 300,000 knots per square metre. The short description records approximately 200,000 to 250,000 knots per square metre. The relevant facts about this rug are its hand-knotted technique, virgin-wool pile and cotton warp. A video of the rug is available on the dealer’s YouTube channel.

Origin and Tradition

Tabriz rugs come from the Persian city of Tabriz and its surrounding area. Tabriz lies in north-western Persia on the slopes of Mount Sahand. The city has long been associated with urban carpet making and experienced master weavers. Villages around the city have also been known for carpet weaving for centuries, so the regional tradition extends beyond the city itself.

The history of Tabriz rugs reaches back to the Safavid period. Tabriz was an important city and served for a time as a capital of Persia. It is also described as a residence of the crown prince of the Qajar dynasty. Over time, carpet making became an established regional craft in which technical knowledge and a broad design vocabulary developed together.

The Safavid era was important to the development of Persian carpet art. Court workshops, urban artisans and regional patrons all contributed to an environment in which carpets could be treated as designed works as well as useful textiles. Tabriz benefited from its position as a significant city and trading centre, where different artistic influences, materials and compositional ideas could meet.

Until the nineteenth century, classical Tabriz work was primarily known in Tabriz and neighbouring areas. Later, Persian master weavers such as Sheikh Safi, Kurban Dai and Haji Jalili helped bring Tabriz carpets to the attention of western markets. Dealers began exporting this work on a larger scale. As a result, Tabriz became an established name outside Persia for a Persian urban weaving tradition.

Weaving quality can vary considerably within the region. Tabriz therefore does not refer to one single knot density or one fixed pattern, but to a regional tradition with different technical expressions. Workshops in the city and nearby villages are known for their varied designs. Regional practice combines careful execution with the adaptation of established motifs and more elaborate compositions.

The organisation of urban workshop production differs from nomadic weaving traditions. Designs can be prepared in advance, tasks can be coordinated and complex compositions can be worked over an extended period. This supports controlled repetition of small ornaments and a differentiated arrangement of field, medallion and borders. Each hand-knotted rug nevertheless remains an individual work because it is made through the decisions and labour of particular weavers.

Persian literary culture also influenced the design history associated with Tabriz. Poets including Rumi, Omar Khayyam, Ferdowsi, Hafez, Fizuli and Saadi are connected with themes found in some Tabriz carpets. Weavers sometimes incorporated verses into borders, while other designs represented figures or scenes from well-known poems. These literary references belong to the wider history of Tabriz design and are not being assigned as specific imagery to this rug.

Design and Pattern

The pattern of this rug is described as Tabriz floral with a medallion. The design combines floral forms with a central medallion. This wording identifies the pattern of the piece and also refers to an important vocabulary within the Tabriz tradition. A medallion can establish a clear centre, while floral elements organise the surrounding field.

Traditional floral Tabriz designs use flowers, vines and connected botanical forms. These elements may be arranged symmetrically, placed throughout a dense field or framed by borders. In a medallion composition, the centre often provides the principal point of organisation, while secondary motifs and border areas establish transitions between the middle and the outer edge. The exact arrangement differs from design to design.

A medallion may be rounded, oval, polygonal or defined by flowing contours. In Persian compositions it can be accompanied by corner elements, pendants or vines extending into the field. These are general possibilities within the vocabulary of medallion design, not additional features assigned to this particular rug. For this piece, the stated pattern is limited to a floral Tabriz design with a medallion.

Tabriz is one of the Persian carpet traditions associated with a particularly broad range of motifs. Alongside floral medallion designs, Tabriz work is known for Herati and Mahi patterns, figural scenes, architectural subjects and highly detailed pictorial compositions. Three-dimensional effects are also associated with some Tabriz designs. This variety means that the origin cannot be reduced to one colour scheme or one ornamental formula.

A rare colour combination is specified for this rug. That description identifies the arrangement of tones without establishing a particular individual colour or any additional provenance. In Tabriz design, colour can help distinguish the medallion, field, vines and borders. The overall structure results from the relationship between areas, outlines and repeated botanical details rather than from one isolated motif.

Historical and literary influences appear in Tabriz designs in different ways. Some carpets use floral ornament and scrolling vines, while others include figures, verses or complete scenes. Herati and Mahi compositions use recurring plant forms in a different ornamental rhythm. The pattern recorded for this piece is specifically a floral Tabriz design with a medallion; no further motifs are stated.

Special Features

The special features stated for this piece are its hand-knotted construction, a pile of 100% virgin wool, a warp of 100% cotton and a rare colour combination. Its pattern combines a floral Tabriz composition with a medallion. The condition is described as like new, with the photographs referenced for assessment.

The combination of regional designation, floral medallion composition and the specified colour arrangement summarises the characteristics highlighted in the listing. The product title identifies the rug as a unique piece. A video of this rug is also available on the dealer’s YouTube channel.

No signature or specific age is provided in the description. There is also no stated information about restoration, an individual workshop or a particular dyeing process. Those characteristics are therefore not added to the description.

FAQ

Where does the rug come from?

The rug comes from Persia and is assigned to Tabriz. Tabriz lies in north-western Persia and is known as a centre of urban Persian carpet production. The wider region includes surrounding villages with their own long weaving traditions. In this product description, Tabriz identifies the origin of the Persian rug rather than merely naming a decorative motif.

The regional tradition developed a combination of technical precision and varied design. Tabriz was an important centre in Persian history and later became known beyond Persia through the trade in its carpets. No particular workshop or individual weaver is named for this piece.

Which materials were used?

The pile is made from 100% virgin wool. The warp is made from 100% cotton. The rug is hand-knotted, meaning that the visible wool pile is worked onto a cotton warp structure. No other material or additional material specification is given for this piece.

In a hand-knotted rug, the warp is stretched as the foundation for the rows of knots. The pile is formed from yarn tied into that foundation, while the completed rows are secured through the weaving process. This explains the general construction without assigning any further material or technical feature to the rug.

How is the pattern arranged?

The pattern is described as Tabriz floral with a medallion. It combines floral design elements with a central medallion structure. A rare colour combination is also specified. The description does not define further individual colours, particular flower species or additional pictorial motifs.

Within the Tabriz tradition, flowers, vines and detailed borders can organise a composition, while a medallion provides a recognisable centre. Other Tabriz rugs may use different arrangements, including Herati, Mahi, figural or architectural subjects. For this rug, the description is limited to the stated floral Tabriz pattern, medallion and rare colour combination.