Nain | 290 x 200 cm | Nr. Z-3569

Floral Nain, light blue with border and medallion

Origin	Persia
Dimensions	290 cm x 200 cm (= 5.8 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: kork wool with pure silk Weft & Warp: cotton
knots per m²2	810.000
Pile height	5mm
Year of manufacture	1995
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 edge of the rug is framed by a surround (border). The border forms a splendid contrast to the centre.

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 ground of this Nain is cream white. The overall impression is also dominated by light blue and cream white. The border is worked in light blue and cream white. In the dark blue centre, light blue and beige are combined.

Condition

You are not the first to take a liking to this Nain. It has had owners before you who valued and used it. It was hand-knotted around 1995. It has been thoroughly cleaned and is in good but unrestored condition. The pile is worn down in places. The edges are damaged in parts. We have left this Nain unrestored 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 Nain will bring you joy for decades to come.

Material

The pile of this Nain was hand-knotted from kurk wool and silk. Kurk wool, also spelled kork, is an especially fine-threaded yarn that feels almost velvety. It is taken from the neck, the belly and the inner legs of the sheep and is of particularly high quality. The pattern of this Nain is picked out in lustrous pure silk, obtained by hand from the cocoons of the silkworm. The silk elements create a shimmering contrast and make the colours glow in different facets depending on how the light falls. The weft and warp threads of this Nain are cotton. This versatile material is tear-resistant and elastic, which makes it ideally suited to a hard-wearing foundation.