332 - Ferrahan Rug (cotton warp and weft, wool pile), Northwest Persia, circa 1900

Ferrahan Rug (cotton warp and weft, wool pile), Northwest Persia, circa 1900 452 x 150 The rug is decorated with the Herati pattern on a navy blue background. This pattern consists of a diamond shape formed by curved stems, enclosing a rosette and topped by a palmette at each corner, repeated endlessly, with four sickle-shaped leaves side by side in each instance. This design adorned Herat carpets (from which it takes its name). The ivory border with polychrome floral motifs is framed by four counter-borders. “North of Sultanabad lies the densely populated region of Farahan, which includes numerous villages whose main livelihood is carpet weaving.” The carpets are prized for their simplicity and the elegance of their design, which most often consists of simple decorative elements. () The pile of antique Ferrahan or Farahan carpets is often corroded due to the use of a copper-based green dye. The decoration, which derives from the Persian tradition, consists of tiny motifs repeated across the entire field. The most common motif is the Herati. Alongside the Herati, motifs such as botehs, mina-khani, gol farangh, and mustefi are frequently featured. Many rugs also feature a medallion design. They reflect the decorative simplicity of rugs from the region, and the medallion composition is rendered in a balanced manner. The field is generally decorated only in the spandrels or along the edges to highlight the medallions, which are executed with intricate floral motifs and often surrounded by a serrated border. Sometimes, the field is meticulously adorned with Herati motifs or rows of boteh. A series of barely sketched medallions, interrupted by the border, appear on some designs above and below the central medallion, giving the impression that the weaver intended to depict only one of them in full. The borders, particularly the central one, stand out due to their size and the refined decoration of their motifs.” Good condition