Nain | 244 x 156 cm | Nr. Z-4328

Floral Nain, light blue with border and medallion

Origin	Persia
Dimensions	244 cm x 156 cm (= 3.8064 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: kork wool with pure silk Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	900.000
Pile height	5mm
Year of manufacture	2015
Colour	Light blue, cream white
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Nain is one of the best-known rug provenances (source, origin) in Iran. The town of Nain lies north-west of Isfahan and has a long weaving tradition. Before the Qajar dynasty (1794 - 1925), the finest cloaks for noblemen – known as abas – were made here. Under the influence of Western culture, the traditional cloak was displaced as clothing by the suit. The weavers shifted their business and began knotting rugs.

The rugs from Nain owe their unmistakable patterns and colour combinations above all to the master weaver Hadj Fatollah Habibian Naiini. He limited himself to fewer than ten colours at the loom and so laid the foundation for the colour composition of the Nain rugs that are still so popular today. To this day the base colours are usually white or beige and blue, although Nain rugs in red, green and yellow are appearing more and more often. Floral patterns whose contours are accentuated with silk are typical. Thanks to their understated elegance and restraint to just a few shades, Nain rugs also sit beautifully in modern interiors.

Nain rugs are distinguished by four quality grades, which are given in Lah (the Persian word for layer). Lah describes the number of threads twisted together to form the warp. The more threads are used, the thicker the warp and therefore the knots, and the lower the knot density.

Pattern

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

The lavish floral motifs of this Nain are elegant and full of variety. The graceful vegetal symbols, depicting blossoms, leaves and branches, are artfully intertwined.

At the heart of this Nain's central field lies the symmetrical centre, also known as the medallion. The design of the field is subordinate to the medallion, creating the impression that the medallion is floating on the field.

The background of this Nain is cream white. Light blue and cream white also dominate the overall impression. The border is worked in light blue and cream white.

Material

The pile of this Nain was hand-knotted from kork wool and silk. Kork wool (also written kurk) is a particularly fine-threaded knotting yarn that feels almost velvety. It is taken from the neck, the belly and the inner legs of the sheep and is of especially high quality. The pattern of this Nain is picked out in lustrous pure silk, obtained by hand from the cocoons of the silk moth. The silk elements create a shimmering contrast and let the colours glow in different nuances, depending on how the light falls. The weft and warp threads of this Nain are made of cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it especially suitable for a hard-wearing foundation.