Chinese Isfahan | 243 x 174 cm | Nr. Z-4334

Floral Chinese Isfahan, cream white with border and medallion

Origin	China
Dimensions	243 cm x 174 cm (= 4.2282 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	640.000
Pile height	8mm
Year of manufacture	2005
Colour	Cream white, Light red
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

The pattern of this rug takes its cue from the patterns of classic Isfahan rugs. This piece, however, was knotted in China. The city of Isfahan is one of the architectural gems of the Islamic world. It owes its artistic tradition, its historic townscape and its arguably unmatched architecture to the Safavid dynasty and to Shah Abbas in particular. Floral motifs are typical of Isfahan rug patterns. Designs with fourfold or lengthwise symmetry are widespread, with a medallion in the centre surrounded by arabesques, blossoms or birds. The ground colour is usually the classic red, and a luminous blue and a light beige are typical too. With more than 15 shades in most cases, though, the Isfahan is decidedly colourful. The borders are often green-blue and decorated with flowering tendrils and palmettes.

In Iran, the fineness of Isfahan knotting is stated in cheft. Cheft are fine, usually blue vertical lines along the lower end webs. The closer the lines, the finer the knotting.

To this day, many Isfahan rugs carry a discreetly knotted inscription in Persian script along the lower edge, the so-called signature. It names the maker, the provenance Isfahan and often the country as well, either as the word Iran or as the Iranian national flag in green, white and red.

Rugs from the Seirafian workshop are especially sought after. The late master knotter Haj Agha Reza Seirafian lived from 1881 to 1975. Today he is known as the creator of the famous Seirafian rugs. Before he turned to rug production, Haj Agha Reza was a private banker in Isfahan. The Seirafian family still makes rugs today from the templates and designs of Haj Agha Reza Seirafian.

Pattern

The edge of the rug is framed by a decorative border. The border forms a beautiful contrast with the centre.

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

At the heart of this Isfahan's central field sits the symmetrical centrepiece, also known as the medallion. The design of the field is subordinate to the medallion, giving the impression that the medallion is floating on the field.

The background of this Isfahan is cream white. The border is worked in cream white and light red.

Condition

This Isfahan has a history. The rug has a few small stains. It was hand-knotted around 2005. We have cleaned it thoroughly and restored it with great care. Despite its age, it is therefore in very good condition.

Material

China rugs are hand-knotted from silky, lustrous wool. For our high-quality China rugs, the wool is obtained by gently shearing live sheep. New wool is a renewable, natural raw material with a number of impressive properties: thanks to the natural lanolin in the wool, the surface repels droplets of water and is naturally proofed against dirt. Wool also offers excellent thermal insulation, helps regulate the indoor climate and dampens sound. The knot density is relatively low – as is typical of Chinese rugs – and the pile is left long.

The weft and warp threads of this Isfahan are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it particularly suitable for a hard-wearing foundation.