Shiraz | 292 x 218 cm | Nr. Z-1233

Geometric Shiraz, dark red with border and medallion

Origin	Persia
Dimensions	292 cm x 218 cm (= 6.37 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool Weft: cotton Warp: wool
knots per m²2	120.000
Pile height	10mm
Year of manufacture	2000
Colour	Dark red
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

The city of Shiraz is the capital of the Iranian province of Shiraz and lies in the south-west of Iran. The rugs of this region were originally knotted by the nomads who lived there. By now most of them have settled in smaller villages across the province.

The pattern of the so-called Shiraz rugs is made up – as is typical of nomadic work – of motifs with simple geometric figures and diamonds at the centre of the rug. The field is often red, while the motifs are worked in various shades of blue. Now and then rugs with stylised flowers and bird motifs are knotted as well.

Shiraz rugs are traditional village rugs and therefore very hard-wearing and of extremely solid quality.

Pattern

The ornate border forms a wonderful contrast with the centre and shapes the transition at the edge of the rug.

The abstract, geometric composition is what gives this Shiraz its understated elegance. The pattern flatters the look of a room without drawing attention away from the furniture, the decoration and the architectural details. It creates a pleasant atmosphere without dominating the style of the room.

At the middle of this Shiraz's central field lies the symmetrical centre, also known as the medallion. The design of the field is subordinate to the medallion, so that the medallion seems to float on the field.

The background of this Shiraz is dark red. The border is worked in dark red and dark blue.

Material

The pile of this Shiraz was hand-knotted from high-quality new wool. New wool is obtained by shearing sheep gently. New wool is a renewable, natural raw material with a range of impressive qualities: thanks to the natural lanolin in the wool, the surface repels droplets of water and is naturally protected against dirt. Wool also provides excellent thermal insulation, helps regulate the indoor climate and dampens sound. The weft threads of this Shiraz are made of cotton. Wool was used for the warp threads.