Persia

Farahan is a district in central Iran. It includes numerous villages engaged in carpet weaving. These carpets have a strong cotton structure and, between the asymmetrical weaves, run two recourses of white or dyed dark blue weft. The fleece is made of soft, opaque wool and the satin is rather low. The decoration is minute and composed, repeating all the most traditional Persian motifs in full, resulting in a balanced and stylish composition. The most frequent is the herati motif: composed of a dense lily of rhomboid motifs, given by slender stems, which enclose a rosette on the inside and have a palmette at each apex, which is responsible for adorning the corner-pieces and a large counter-rhombus on a dark background. Alongside the herati are the botteh, a motif typical of carpets in Islamic countries, which can be likened to a drop with the upper end folded to one side, the Mina Khani, a slender grid of curved stems linked together with rounded flowers similar to daisies, or the gol farangh, comprising designs of roses gathered in bouquets or garlands. The colouring is sober, playing on the contrast between dark or light backgrounds and designs in light shades such as green, cream and pink. Similar designs to the Farahans appear in the Sarugs, with medallion-shaped implants standing out against a light or blue field, elongated at the ends by pendants stretching out to touch the borders.