Qom | 195 x 140 cm | Nr. Z-4498

Qom, cream white with border, paisley and all-over pattern (finely drawn)

Origin

Qom is a relatively young provenance for Persian rugs. The city of Qom (also Ghom, Gom, Ghoum, Goum) lies in central Iran, about 100 km south of the capital Tehran. As there was no old knotting tradition in Qom to build on, patterns were and still are adopted from other weaving regions. Over time, however, a style of its own has grown out of this. The silk rugs from Qom are today among the most famous and finest rugs in the world. The field of rugs from Qom often has a light ground decorated with finely drawn medallion patterns or all-over boteh or vase designs.

Pattern

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

The pattern of this Qom is adorned with wonderful paisley motifs. The paisley motif shows a leaf with a tapering, curved tip, rather like a large comma, and recalls the fish-bladder ornament of the Gothic period. Its origins lie with the Chaldeans, who evidently used the motif to depict the shoot of the date palm that was vital to their survival. The motif spread as far as the Celts, but there it was displaced once more by Greek and Roman ornament. Rug patterns containing paisley ornaments are also called boteh patterns, in Persian mir-e-butha or mir-i-bota.

This Qom has an enormous amount of character. The intense, richly detailed pattern almost hypnotises the eye. The repeating elements in the central field of this Qom rug have no specific centre (what is known as a repeat pattern). The recurring pattern feels calming without ever becoming dull. Rugs with a repeat pattern are also described as all-over designs.

The background of this Qom is cream white. The border is worked in cream white, light red and light blue.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Qom. It has had owners before you who valued it and used it. It was hand-knotted around 1980. It has been cleaned thoroughly and is in good but unrestored condition. The fringes could do with a repair. The edges are damaged in places. We have not restored this Qom, because we feel it has a special presence just as it is. If you would like us to, we will of course be happy to restore the rug for you. Either way, this Qom will give you pleasure for decades to come.

Material

The pile of this Qom is 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 qualities: thanks to the wool's natural lanolin content, the surface repels droplets of water and is thus naturally proofed against dirt. Wool also offers excellent thermal insulation, helps regulate the indoor climate and dampens sound. The weft and warp threads of this Qom are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it particularly suited to a hard-wearing foundation.