Traditionally the patterns were drawn by hand on pattern boards – like the one below – and then knotted from them. Today rug patterns are created digitally and printed out.
There are two fundamentally different types of pattern: rug designs either fill the entire field with a repeating motif or are arranged around a dominant medallion.
Rugs with a motif that repeats across the whole field are also described as all-over patterned or as an all-over design.
One of the earliest and most original rug patterns is the so-called Herati pattern. It consists of a diamond shape with floral motifs at the corners, surrounded by lance-shaped leaves – sometimes also known as mahi (Farsi for fish) – that frame it.
Even today the Herati pattern is knotted in almost every Persian rug-weaving centre as well as by nomadic tribes in Iran.
Another pattern that has spread widely is the Harshang or crab pattern, first used in the Khorasan district of Persia, which is made up of crab-like palmettes with open claws.
The ancient Boteh motif quickly spread throughout Persia and India. Alongside the Herati pattern, it is one of the most common Oriental rug patterns. It is found above all on Caucasian and Persian rugs. It is a curved, almond-shaped motif that stands upright and is instantly recognisable by its bent-over tip. In Europe it gave rise to the kidney-shaped paisley pattern. The shape has often been described as a flame – linked to the fire cult of the Parsees, the followers of Zarathustra's teachings – or as a bent palm leaf. Its origin, however, probably lies in a depiction of the cypress, which played an important role in many areas of Persian art. The Boteh pattern is found in a wide variety of arrangements, in a curvilinear or a rectilinear style.
The earliest records of central medallions used in symmetrical patterns come from Persian manuscripts of the 15th century, and they found their way into rug patterns around the 16th century.
The classic early Tabriz medallion rugs of this period were graced by beautiful large-format medallions, overlaid or framed by intricately drawn floral scrolls.
The medallion tradition has carried on over the centuries and is interpreted both in curved form – as in many rugs knotted in Tabriz – and in straight-lined form, as with rugs from Heriz or Kazak. Medallions are still used today not only in Persia but also in Anatolia and the Caucasus, although geometric shapes predominate there. In the vast majority of cases the medallion sits centred in the middle of the rug. Less often, several medallions are arranged one above the other.
Pictorial designs
In the 18th and 19th centuries some workshops moved away from abstract patterns and chose motifs from classical prose and poetry instead. Scenes of the hunt, of courtly life or mythical subjects were woven and knotted in wool and silk, with finer rugs allowing more intricate and more precise depictions.
The workshops in the Iranian city of Kerman (also spelled Kirman) were particularly skilled at depicting intricate, naturalistic scenes and often drew their inspiration from Western works of art.
Modern pictorial rugs, especially those from Afghanistan, frequently show weapons or other symbols of the region's ongoing armed conflicts.
Tree of Life
A widely used motif is the Tree of Life. It stands for eternal life and is a central theme in mythology and religion. The trees grow up from the base of the field and fill the rest of the rug with green branches decorated with flowers or birds. Often a watercourse or a pool with roaming animals is shown at the foot of the tree. The tree itself symbolises the connection between heaven, earth and the underworld.
The paradise garden pattern is typical of the Safavid era. Paradise garden rugs are adorned with a stylised, geometricised depiction of a traditional Persian garden with delicate plants and trees. The Greek word paradeisos goes back to the Middle Persian word pardēs. Originally the word referred to the Persian royal gardens; only in the biblical context did it take on the connotation of the garden of God. The fertile, artfully laid-out royal gardens were home to a great variety of exotic plants and animals and were surrounded by a wall, symbolic of the separation between heaven and earth. Traditional Persian gardens of paradise were rectangular, with a river or body of water running from north to south and from east to west, forming a cross that divides the garden into four sections. In rugs depicting paradise gardens, too, the portrayal of water – extremely precious in arid regions – plays an outstanding role.
Prayer niche (Mehrab or Mihrab)
In the so-called Mehrab or Mihrab pattern the Islamic prayer niche is depicted, the niche that marks the direction of prayer, qibla that is, the direction of Mecca, in mosques. Traditionally, rugs with the Mihrab pattern are used by Muslims for prayer and are therefore especially precious.
