Persian Carpet

Although designed and woven by anonymous people, often by nomads, carpets are the most captivating and exciting artworks which the Orient has given to the whole world. The word "Farsh", of Arabic origin, meaning "to spread", is related to the primitive function of the mats; to be spread inside the tents of the nomads. The first carpets were made with bamboos and stems of plants which grew in the swamps, later that fabric was covered with animal skins. The next step was to look for a more comfortable and insulating cover for the floor, so a new type of mat was created by interlacing the wool of animals. That was the first step to reach the art of weaving.

Carpet weaving is an art which exists in Iran since ancient times – according to some theories long before the Achaemenids, probably 3000 years BC -. The first evidence is the famous Pazyryk carpet, discovered in 1949 in a grave in the Altai Mountains, in southern Siberia. The tomb in which Pazyryk was found, in good condition due to the ice which had sheltered it for centuries, contained a series of objects from China, the Black Sea and Persia. Pazyryk carpet is 200 by 183 cm, and has 360,000 knots / m². In the opinion of scientists, this carpet was made 500 years before our era in the west or south of Persia.

From the Pazyryk carpet, to the present day, the art of carpet weaving has evolved a lot, parallel to the changes in Iranian history. The milestones which have marked the upward growth of the manufacture of carpets, in quality and quantity, are quite coincident with times of the development of the native Persian cultures, especially under the Safavid dynasty. The Mongol and Timurid invaders re-launched the carpet production with more sumptuous models and exceptional mastery. Since then, Persian carpets have been considered as luxury objects throughout the world. The Persian designs and techniques were copied in China, India, Pakistan, Turkey and some regions of Eastern Europe. There are various types of carpets in Iran. The differences between the carpets are based first on the quality of the material used, then on the number of knots, the design of the pattern, the colors used, the warp and the weft.

Persian Carpet

Iranian Woven Handicrafts

With skills that are passed down for generations, the art of Iranian crafts has long been a reflection of Iranian people's creativity and ingenuity. The intricate detail and meticulous methods is a display of inventiveness, and the elaborate designs proof of perseverance. Moreover, the abundance of natural materials make it possible for Iranians to produce beautiful and inexpensive handicrafts.

Persian carpet is an art-industry that has long served a name and credit to Iranian culture.  Flooring every home by Iranian carpet is a chance to touch on several years of Iran’s long history. The delicate fibers of Iranian carpet display the epic of its weavers to depict the God's creation in their layout. Apart from the carpet, the woven items of this field reaches up to 50 types and the majority has flooring usage and other with particular applications.

Jajim

Jajim is a woolen cloth identical to Gilim with colorful striped layout used as a mat. Jajim is woven by cotton or wool, and some by colored yarns. Best woolen cloth is woven in the Turkmen and nomadic tribes, especially Azerbaijan and Kurdistan.

 

Jajim

Gabbeh

It is also a woven rug but with lint in addition to wrap and woof. While division, it is not categorized among carpets but as a rug, perhaps because the lint length and   its nodes are much thicker and longer. Gabbeh is the handmade product of tribes and today produced in some workshops. The weaver chooses the layout according to his concepts or perspective of his surrounding animals, people, trees or even woven geometric shapes. The size of Gabbeh is about one and a half to four meters.

 

Gabbeh

Gilim

Gilim is a lint-free mat. While weaving this type of carpet, picks passes through the fibers. There are different types of Gilim products that each has its own beauty. Weaving some is a painstaking task, thus more expensive and some made easier and cheaper in the market.

                                                Gilim

 

There are several different styles of woven handicrafts that are popular in Iran that you can take home as unique souvenirs.

Carpet Museum of Tehran

Carpet weaving is one of the most amazing faces of Persian culture, legend and art. Considering the ancient weaving tools discovered in Lorestan in west of Iran, the antiquity of this artistic industry in ancient Iran is traced back to Bronze era! The oldest piece of carpet which is known to be weaved in Iran is Pazyryk carpet which is 1.83*2 meters with an advanced weaving technique (36 symmetrical knots in per 2cm). This carpet is named after the Pazyryk valley in Altai Mountains where this masterpiece was discovered from ancient graves hided under ice and snow for centuries. According to the results of Carbon 14 examinations and the adaptations of the patterns on this carpet and the patterns in Persepolis, Pazyryk is related to Achaemnid era (5^th century B.C). The skillfully weaving technique of Pazyryk carpet proves a long history and experience behind this art.

Carpet museum of Tehran. Iran

The Iranian cypresses.

Cypress is a beautiful and evergreen tree which is grown widely in Iran and it is known as the symbol of strength and freedom in Iranian myths and literature. Cypress trees are seen among the reliefs of the Apadana palace of Persepolis, showing the beliefs and customs of the ancient Iranians. The Persian painters have painted cypress trees in their miniatures and the carpet weavers have weaved this historical motif on their carpets. It is said that the famous Iranian motif “Boteh jeghe” (paisley), which is seen on the Termeh and Pateh textiles, is the changed form of Iranian cypress.

                    

                 Cypress trees on a Persian rug.                         The cypress tree in Persepolis.

Most of the great Persian poets like Hafiz, Molana and Khayam have wisely used the word cypress as a metaphor in their verses to describe the beauty of their beloved. In the Persian gardens, cypress trees have been planted around the gardens for specifying the area of the garden. The cypress trees in Shiraz, known as the city of historical gardens, are so famous because of being soaring and lofty and they are called Sarv- e Naz (the charming cypress).

The stunning Carpets of Qahqai Nomads.

Qashqai carpet (one of the most fantastic types of Persian carpets), is as colorful and cheery as the culture and the customs of the Qashqai nomads. Qashqais, who are a big nomadic population in Iran, live on the wealds of Fars province and their music and carpets are inspired by the wildlife around. The weavers simply imitate the flowers and the wild or tamed animals on the carpet and express their feelings with the colors they choose. What is more artistic than performing the pure feelings, fears and wishes in form of motifs? Some other Qashqai rugs show noble motifs of Iran, like “Lachak o Toranj”, “Maahi dar ham”, “Chelipa” (cross), peacock, lion and cypress tree, which are all legendary motifs of ancient Persian carpets. These hand-made masterpieces are registered by the UNESCO as a cultural heritage.

A Qashqai woman spinning the wool for weaving a carpet.