Antique Keshan | 426 x 326 cm | Nr. Z-3719

Antique Keshan

Delivery time	2 days
Origin	Persia
Dimensions	426 cm x 326 cm (= 13.89 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Weft & Warp: cotton
knots	360.000
Year of manufacture	1920
Condition	pre-owned and cleaned
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

The central Persian city of Keshan (also written Kashan or Keschan) lies between the mountain slopes of the Zagros range and the Persian desert regions. Thanks to its climate and the caravans that crossed the country, it was – at least until the Safavids moved their seat of government to Isfahan – a flourishing metropolis, known above all for its fabric and rug production. To this day the city is shaped by the elegance and splendour of that era. Keshan rugs are artful textiles made in an age-old tradition. In Keshan, production traditionally took place in the weavers' own homes. The pile is typically knotted from extremely soft wool, which makes it particularly dense and compact.

This antique Keshan is a collector's item. It is around 106 years old, and that alone makes it a truly special piece. Antique rugs such as this Antique Keshan are as sought after as ever and fetch top prices at renowned auction houses.

Material

The technique used to make the materials for the pile of this Antique Keshan is more than 200 years old. The wool was dyed with natural dyes and spun by hand. Dyeing with natural or plant dyes is more complicated, more expensive and more time-consuming than dyeing with chemical colours. For a luminous red, for example, around one kilo of ground madder root is needed as dyestuff per kilo of wool. For a strong yellow that is not too pale, it even takes two kilograms of the dyestuff weld per kilo of wool. Spinning the wool is just as time-consuming and labour-intensive. On top of that, fewer and fewer people still know how to spin wool by hand.

But the effort is worth it: dyeing with natural colours allows the high-quality wool to keep its natural oil content. Wool that has been dyed with natural colours and spun by hand creates fascinating, shimmering patterns. The charm of hand-spun wool, with its slight irregularities and natural shades, comes into its own as a contrast in modern interiors, but equally in rooms furnished in a more traditional or country style.

The weft and warp threads of this Antique Keshan are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and has some give, which makes it especially well suited to a hard-wearing foundation.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Antique Keshan. It has had owners before you who valued and used it. It was knotted around 1920. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but unrestored condition. The fringes could do with a repair. The edges are damaged in places. The rug has a hole roughly 40 cm in diameter. The rug has a few bare patches. In some places you will see a few white threads. That is quite normal with older rugs. These are the knot ends of the weft and warp weave working their way to the surface over the years. In substance, this is not a major problem. We have not restored this Antique Keshan, because we feel it has a particular presence just as it is. If you would like us to, we will of course be glad to restore the rug for you. Either way, this Antique Keshan will give you pleasure for decades to come.