Old Lilian | 305 x 166 cm | Nr. Z-4355

Old Lilian

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Persia
Dimensions	305 cm x 166 cm (= 5.06 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool
knots	240.000
Condition	pre-owned and cleaned
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Lilian rugs come – like Hamadan rugs – from north-west Iran. Unlike the weavers of Hamadan rugs, though, the makers of Lilian rugs are of Armenian descent. In Iran they are therefore also called Armenibaft Lilian. Lilian rugs made over the past few decades are for the most part knotted fairly coarsely. The pile wool, which is usually good and is knotted into a cotton foundation (cotton weft & warp), nevertheless makes Lilians very good, hard-wearing rugs.

The most striking feature of Lilian rugs is the cross-shaped floral medallion used so often, surrounded by large flower and leaf tendrils in a four-fold symmetrical layout of the field. The colouring is usually a strong red with details picked out in dark blue. More rarely, you also come across Lilian rugs with a large-scale all-over Herati motif.

This Old Lilian is around 66 years old and a real collector's piece.

Material

The pile of this Old Lilian 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 properties: thanks to the natural lanolin content of the wool, the surface repels water droplets and is therefore naturally protected against dirt. Wool also offers excellent thermal insulation, helps to regulate the indoor climate and dampens sound.

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

Condition

This Old Lilian has a story to tell. It was knotted around 66. It has been cleaned thoroughly and is in good but unrestored condition. The edges are damaged in places. The fringes could do with a repair. The pile is slightly worn. In some places a few white threads are visible. That is entirely normal in older rugs. They are the knot ends of the weft and warp weave, which work their way to the surface over the years. In terms of substance, this is not a major problem. We have not restored this Old Lilian because we feel it has a special charm just as it is. If you would like us to, we will of course restore the rug for you. Either way, this Old Lilian will give you pleasure for decades to come.