Persian

Persian rugs

"Persian rug" describes a weaving tradition and a set of regional designs, not a single product. The names attached to these rugs — Kashan, Tabriz, Heriz, Ziegler, Mahal — are the towns and workshops whose patterns and construction they follow, and each one looks different enough that it is worth knowing which you are buying.

The main designs

Kashan is the formal one: a central medallion, dense floral field, fine knot count, usually in deep reds and blues. Tabriz covers the widest range, from tightly detailed medallions to open, airy fields. Heriz is the geometric one, with a large angular medallion and a heavier, harder-wearing weave, which is why Heriz rugs end up in dining rooms and hallways. Ziegler designs use softer, lower-contrast palettes on a large scale, which is what makes them sit comfortably in a modern room where a formal Kashan would not.

Hand-knotted construction

A hand-knotted rug is built knot by knot on a loom, with each knot tied around the warp threads by hand. It is the most durable rug construction there is — a well-made hand-knotted wool rug outlasts the room it was bought for — and it is the reason the back of the rug shows the pattern almost as clearly as the front. That is the quickest test: turn a corner over. If the pattern is visible from the back and the knots are individually distinguishable, it is hand-knotted.

Our Persian rugs are hand-knotted in wool and wool-silk, in sizes from accent through to oversized, priced in Canadian dollars and shipped across Canada.