Tafresh | 150 x 110 cm | Nr. 20135

Tafresh

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Persia
Dimensions	150 cm x 110 cm (= 1.65 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool Weft & Warp: cotton
knots	180.000
Year of manufacture	1960
Condition	pre-owned and cleaned
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

The small town of Tafresh – also written Tafrisch or Tahfresch – lies about a hundred kilometres east of the western Iranian city of Hamadan, on the flank of the mountain of the same name, Kuh-i-Tafresh. A rather unusual pattern is traditionally knotted here, one that sets these rugs clearly apart from the other Hamedan rugs. The pattern of Tafresh rugs is essentially drawn as a four-fold symmetrical floral design, finely chiselled in its details. The central medallion is repeated as a quarter in each of the inner corners. Typical is the sixteen-fold division of the rays of the central motif, while the open areas of the field are striking. On older knottings you also find a longitudinally symmetrical plant-and-bird pattern.

Because this highly characteristic traditional pattern is copied nowhere else, the Tafresh provenance (source, origin) is relatively easy to determine. Only very few rugs are knotted in Tafresh, however. One reason why these extraordinary rugs are so rarely found.

Tafresh rugs are knotted with the Turkish knot. The knotting of Tafresh rugs is firm, unusually fine for the Hamadan provenances and of exquisite craftsmanship. So that the pattern stands out clearly and crisply, the pile is low and the nap correspondingly steeply inclined, which gives the pile a certain density. The mostly red colouring is light and friendly, which is rather an exception among Hamadan rugs.

Material

The pile of this Tafresh has been hand-knotted from high-quality new wool. New wool is obtained by gently shearing sheep. New wool is a renewable, natural raw material with a number of impressive properties: thanks to the natural lanolin in the wool, the surface repels droplets of water and is therefore naturally proofed against dirt. Wool also offers excellent thermal insulation, helps regulate the indoor climate and dampens sound.

The weft and warp threads of this Tafresh are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it particularly well suited to a hard-wearing foundation.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Tafresh. It has had owners before you who valued and used it. It was knotted around 1960. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but unrestored condition. The fringes are somewhat worn in places and could do with a repair. We have not restored this Tafresh because we feel it has a special presence just as it is. If you would prefer otherwise, we will of course be glad to restore the rug for you. Either way, this Tafresh will give you pleasure for decades to come.