Bijar | 157 x 62 cm | Nr. Z-4471

Mottled Bijar runner, light red with border

Origin

This rug was knotted in Bijar, in the province of Kermanshah in north-western Iran. Bijar rugs are among the sturdiest and finest Oriental rugs. The majority of the population in Bijar are Kurds.

In the Kurdish Bijar, a particularly thick and extremely hard weft yarn is beaten into the weave. The result is a board-stiff rug that is exceptionally hard-wearing. The younger Bijars in particular are decorated with the typical Herati pattern, also known as the fish pattern.

Pattern

The decorated surround (border) forms a beautiful contrast to the centre and shapes the transition at the edge of the rug.

The surface of this Bijar has a mottled look. The shifts in hue and the light-and-dark shading of the pile yarn make the colours shimmer and keep the rug forgiving of dirt. These so-called colour shifts, known as abrasch, make the rug look livelier. The mottling comes about because the wool of this Bijar was hand-spun. During dyeing, the natural dyes are taken up to varying degrees.

The background of this Bijar is light red. The border is designed in light red and beige.

Condition

This Bijar has a story to tell. In one corner the rug has a small bare patch. It was hand-knotted around 1985. We have cleaned it thoroughly and restored it with care. Despite its age, it is therefore in very good condition.

Material

The pile of this Bijar 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 droplets of water 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 Bijar are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it particularly well suited to a hard-wearing foundation.