Old Tafresh | 210 x 145 cm | Nr. Z-3444

Old Tafresh, light red with border and medallion

Origin	Persia
Dimensions	210 cm x 145 cm (= 3.045 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	300.000
Pile height	6mm
Year of manufacture	1940
Colour	Light red
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.

Rugs from Tafresh are knotted with the Turkish knot. The knotting of Tafresh rugs is firm, unusually fine for the Hamadan provenances and of exquisite craftsmanship. To let the pattern emerge clearly and sharply, the pile is low and the lay of the pile correspondingly steeply angled, which gives it a certain density. The mostly red palette is light and friendly, something of an exception among Hamadan rugs. This old Tafresh is around 80 years old and a true collector's piece.

Pattern

The edge of the rug is graced by a surround (border). The border forms a wonderful contrast to the centre.

At the heart of the central field of this Tafresh lies the symmetrical centre, also known as the medallion. The design of the field is subordinate to the medallion, creating the impression that the medallion is floating on the field.

The background of this Tafresh is light red. In the centre, light red and dark blue are combined.

Condition

You aren't the first to take a liking to this Tafresh. It has had owners before you who valued it and put it to use. It was hand-knotted in around 1940. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but only partly restored condition. The edges are damaged in places. In some spots the pile has grown a little thinner. The rug has a few smaller stains. We have not fully restored this Tafresh because we feel it has a particular charm just as it is. If that is what you would like, we will of course gladly carry on restoring the rug for you. We can bring almost any rug back to near-perfect condition.

Material

The pile of this Tafresh 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 range of impressive qualities: thanks to the wool's natural oil content, the surface repels droplets of water and is therefore naturally proofed against dirt. Wool also provides 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 pliable, which makes it particularly well suited to a hard-wearing foundation.