Old Bakhtiari | 207 x 131 cm | Nr. Z-2177

Floral old Bakhtiari, dark red with border and medallion

Origin	Persia
Dimensions	207 cm x 131 cm (= 2.7117 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	90.000
Pile height	8mm
Year of manufacture	1965
Colour	Dark Red, Cream White
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

The Bakhtiari (also Bachtiari) are an ancient, widely branching people living in south-western Iran. The collective name for their rugs is Bakhtiar or Bakhtiari, where the ‘i’ corresponds to our preposition ‘of’. Bakhtiari rugs – the rugs of the Bakhtiari – take in numerous sub-provenances with a range of pattern types. For all this breadth, Bakhtiar rugs resemble one another in their colour compositions, in their various handcrafted techniques and in their line, which is always floral.

Bakhtiari rugs are made preferably with natural dyes, which feel pleasant despite their intensity and develop a beautiful patina over time. Common colours are brown for the outlines, plus red, bottle green, yellow and white as a highlight that gives the rug its likeable character. This old Bakhtiari is around 55 years old and a true collector's piece.

Pattern

The ornate border forms a wonderful contrast with the centre and shapes the transition at the edge of the rug.

The lavish floral motifs of this Bakhtiari are elegant and full of variety. The graceful plant symbols, depicting blossoms, leaves and branches, are artfully intertwined.

At the heart of this Bakhtiari's central field lies the symmetrical centrepiece, also known as the medallion. The design of the field is subordinate to the medallion, so that the medallion appears to float on the field.

The background of this Bakhtiari is dark red. The border is worked in cream white and dark red. In the cream-white centre, light red and dark blue are combined.

Condition

This Bakhtiari has had admirers before you. It was hand-knotted around 1965. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but unrestored condition. The pile is worn in places. The edges are damaged in parts. On one side, parts of the border are missing. We haven't restored this Bakhtiari because we feel it has a special charm just as it is. If you'd rather have it restored, we're of course happy to do that for you. Either way, this Bakhtiari will give you pleasure for decades to come.

Material

The pile of this Bakhtiari was 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 qualities: thanks to the natural grease in the wool, the surface repels droplets of water and is therefore naturally protected against dirt. Wool also provides excellent thermal insulation, helps to regulate the indoor climate and dampens sound. The weft and warp threads of this Bakhtiari are made of cotton. This versatile material is both tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it particularly well suited to a hard-wearing foundation.