Hamadan | 162 x 108 cm | Nr. Z-2399

Floral Hamadan, dark red with border and medallion

Origin	Persia
Dimensions	162 cm x 108 cm (= 1.75 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	240.000
Pile height	6mm
Year of manufacture	1960
Colour	Dark red
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Hamadan (also spelled Hamedan) rugs are knotted in the area around the city of Hamadan in north-western Iran. Hamadan is one of the oldest cities in Persia and lies amid a well-watered fruit-growing region on the banks of the Qareh, at the foot of the Zagros foothills. Rug knotting has a centuries-old tradition in this region. Hamedan is really a collective name, because village and nomadic rugs from many surrounding places come to market in Hamedan. Rugs from the Hamadan region are typically knotted with the Turkish knot and a single weft. That means one weft thread is inserted after every row of knots. Persian rugs are normally knotted with two or three wefts.

Pattern

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

At the heart of this Hamadan's central field lies the symmetrical centre, also known as the medallion. The design of the field takes second place to the medallion, so that the medallion seems to float on the field.

The lush floral motifs of this Hamadan are elegant and full of variety. The graceful plant symbols, depicting blossoms, leaves and branches, are artfully intertwined.

The background of this Hamadan is dark red. The border is worked in dark blue and light red. The dark blue centre combines light red and beige.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Hamadan. It had owners before you who valued it and put it to use. It was hand-knotted around 1960. It has been cleaned thoroughly and is in good, though unrestored, condition. The fringes could do with a repair. Parts of the border are missing along one side. We have not restored this Hamadan because we feel it has a special presence just as it is. If you would like us to, we will of course gladly restore the rug for you. Either way, this Hamadan will bring you pleasure for decades to come.

Material

The pile of this Hamadan 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 in the wool, the surface repels water droplets and is naturally protected against dirt. Wool also provides excellent thermal insulation, helps regulate the indoor climate and dampens sound. The weft and warp threads of this Hamadan are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it particularly well suited to a hard-wearing foundation.