Chinese Isfahan | 358cm x 257cm | No. 13435

Floral Chinese Isfahan, beige patternd with central medallion and border

Place of origin

The pattern of this rug is inspired by the pattern of a classic Isfahan. However, this rug has been knotted in China. The city of Isfahan is one of the architectural pearls of the Islamic world. Its artistic tradition, the historical townscape and the unique architecture is attributed to the Safavid dynasty and especially to Shah Abbas. Floral motives are typical elements in the pattern of Isfahan rugs. Designs of four way or longitudinally symmetrical designs with a medallion in the middle, surrounded by arabesques, flowers or birds are very common. The basic color is usually classic red, but bright blue and light beige are also common. With usually more than 15 shades, the Isfahan is very colorful. The borders are often green-blue and decorated with flower tendrils and palmettes.

The fineness of Isfahan knots is measured through cheft in Iran. Cheft are fine, mostly blue vertical lines on the lower cross weave edges. The closer the lines, the finer the weave.

Even today, many Isfahan rugs bear a rather discreetly knotted inscription in Persian characters at the lower edge, known as the signature. The manufacturer's name, the name of the place of origin, Isfahan, and often also the country of origin, either as the word Iran or the Iranian national flag in green, white and red make up the signature.

Rugs from the Seirafian manufactory are particularly popular. The late master weaver Haj Agha Reza Seirafian lived between 1881 and 1975 and is recognized today as the creator of the famous Seirafian rugs. Haj Agha Reza was a private banker in Isfahan before turning to rug production. The Seirafian family still produces rugs based on Haj Agha Reza Seirafian's designs and models.

Patterns

The edge of the rug is decorated with an edging (border). The border forms a glorious contrast to the center.

The luxuriant flower motifs of this Isfahan are elegant and varied. The graceful vegetative symbols representing flowers, leaves and branches are artfully intertwined.

The recurring pattern (so-called repeating pattern) flatters the design of the room and does not take attention away from the furniture, the decoration and architectural elements. It blends in fantastically with any surroundings and subtly complements the interior design of a room.. In this Isfahan the repeating elements give way to the symmetrical medallion in the center of the panel.

The background of this Isfahan is beige. The border features blue gray and beige.

Material

Chinese rugs are hand knotted from silky shiny wool. For the production of high quality Chinese rugs the coat of the Tibetan goat is used. The knot density is, as is typical in Chinese rugs, relatively low and the pile is shorn long.

Wool is obtained through the gentle shearing of sheep. Virgin wool is a sustainable, natural raw material with a number of impressive properties: Due to wool's natural fat content, the surface repels water droplets and is thus naturally impervious to dirt. Wool also offers excellent thermal insulation, has a regulating effect on the indoor climate and muffles sound. The weft and warp threads of this Isfahan are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and stretchable and, therefore, ideal for a durable backing fabric.