Hamadan | 497 x 110 cm | Nr. 14876

Geometric Hamadan runner, dark blue with an all-over pattern, central medallion and border

Origin	Persia
Dimensions	497 cm x 110 cm (= 5.47 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	120.000
Pile height	6mm
Year of manufacture	1950
Colour	Dark blue, light brown
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 abstract, geometric composition is what gives this Hamadan its understated elegance. The pattern flatters the way a room is arranged and never draws attention away from the furniture, the decoration and the architectural details. It creates a pleasant atmosphere without dominating the style of the room.

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

The recurring pattern (known as a repeat pattern) flatters the design of a room and never steals attention from the furniture, the decoration or the architectural features. It settles beautifully into any setting and complements a room's furnishings in a subtle way. In this Hamadan, the repeating elements find their centre in the middle of the field with its symmetrical medallion.

The background of this Hamadan is dark blue. The border is worked in dark blue and rust red. The light red centre combines light brown and olive green.

Condition

This Hamadan has a story to tell. It was hand-knotted around 1950. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good, though only partly restored, condition. There is a hole in the pile measuring about 15 cm across. We haven't fully restored this Hamadan, because we think it has a special charm just as it is. If that's what you'd like, we'll gladly carry on restoring the rug for you. We can bring almost any rug back to near-perfect condition.

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.