AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF PERSIAN CARPET WEAVING

Perhaps the history of carpet weaving started when the first nomadic and tribal societies began to take shape on Earth thousands of years ago. The need for comfort and warmth during seasonal changes and protection from climatic phenomena forced the man to learn how to employ the most abundant raw materials that, at that time, were more readily available to him to answer his needs. Wool from herds of domesticated sheep and goats, cotton from the fields of early agricultural communities, and silk were the most available materials to the inhabitants of western and central Asia during the early stages of civilization.
In the poetic book of Shah-Nameh, the Iranian epic poet Ferdowsi dates back carpet weaving to the time of the ancient Pishdadian Dynasty when Tahmureth, the third king of the dynasty, among other crafts, introduced the art of carpet weaving to his people. The Tabari Book of History also discusses carpets woven using animal hair and wool during the same historical era.
The oldest registered sign of carpet weaving dates back to the bronze age after finding a special knife used as a carpet weaving tool in a grave excavated by archeologists in northern regions of modern Iran.
Also, archeological discoveries in Shahr-e- Sukhteh ( the Burnt City), situated in the Sistan-Baluchistan province in the southeastern region of Iran, bear witness that the inhabitants of the city were well familiar with the weaving techniques to produce floor coverings for their homes and dwellings when the town was at the height of its flourishing era from 3500-2800 BC.
The Greek historian, Xenophon, mentions that the ancient city of Sardis prided itself on its hand-woven carpets, decorated with the designs and motifs of the mystical creature Lamassu and human figurines.
One of the oldest records of hand-woven carpet was found as a bas-relief on the walls of an ancient palace in the historical city of “Neynava” located at the banks of the river Tigris in Mesopotamia. But the oldest hand-woven carpet found so far, and remaining, is the Pazyryk Carpet. Russian archeologists discovered the rug in their 1949 excavation of the tomb of a Scythian king in the Altay mountains. The carpet, roughly sized 189x189 cm, using carbon-dating methods, is dated back as far as 500-400BC and is now being kept at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. The experts believe it was made during the Achaemenian or Parthian rule in Persia, as most motifs and designs of the carpet resemble those famous during these two dynasties.

Other historical records and findings show the art of carpet weaving was popular among people of the ancient and historic city of Hecatomphylis (or Shahre-e Qumis), located in the modern Central Iran province of Semnan.
But Perhaps Baharestan Carpet can be considered the most famous hand-woven carpet in the history of Persia. As mentioned by historians, it was a large carpet used in the court of the last king of the Sassanid Dynasty. It is said that the carpet was woven, along with other regular materials, using silk, gold, and silver threads and decorated with precious stones.

The spread of Islam into the Persian Empire and starting from the first Hijri century ( about 637-651 ), prohibition of using human motifs and patterns due to Islamic teachings forced the Iranian carpet weavers to develop and innovate new patterns and designs primarily based on floral and geometric patterns and thus starting a new era in the weaving of Persian hand-woven carpets.
During the Abbasid caliphate ( 750 – 1517 AD), a tendency towards a more luxuriant and palatial lifestyle prompted a growing taste for more decorative and luxurious carpet designs and makes. The famous Arab explorer of the 14th century, Ibn Battuta, also remarks about the glamour and grandeur of the Persian hand-woven carpets he encountered during his travels to the court of Ilkhaniate viceroy of Khorasan province, Ghazan Khan, and the glamour of carpets used at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH), in the city of Mashhad in north-east of Iran.
There has also been mention of large carpet weaving workshops in the city of Sabzevar in the Khorasan region during the reign of Theimorit rule and the use of miniature drawing techniques by Iranian designers of the time, The Safavid Period.
But only in the Safavid Dynasty ( 1501-1736 ) did the art of carpet weaving in Persia reach its heights. The political stability and robust economic situation that prevailed for most of the Safavid nearly 230 years of rule, along with the start of direct trading routes with Europe, all helped to improve and expand carpet weaving in Iran during this time.
Shah Ismail I, the founder and the first king of the dynasty, established the first workshops for carpet weaving in his capital city of Tabriz to organize carpet weaving activities, a practice followed by his successor Shah Tahmasp I. As a result, many famous and renowned Persian carpets were woven during the long reign of Shah Tahmasp I.
Perhaps the most famous carpet of this time is the Ardebil carpet. The rugs were initially made in pairs for the shrine of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardebili by order of Shah Tahmasp, and one now is being kept at Victoria &Albert Museum in London and the other at the Los Angles Museum of Arts.
The original carpet measures 10.5mx5.3m, with a knot density of 47-54 knots/ cm, with 26 million knots. The material used in the weaving of the carpet is silk and wool.

 

 

Pass-Through famous art museums of the world and collections of private art collectors bear witness to the exceptional and unparalleled artisanal craftsmanship of Iranian designers and carpet weavers of this era which any other nation could not rival.

The impact these measures had on the carpet weaving industry in Iran was so profound that even now, most famous Persian Carpet makes and designs are known by their original names designated to them during that era.

Another important event of that time was an expansion of international trade in Persian Carpets & Rugs. Many foreign companies, mainly from Europe, opened merchant houses in Iran to trade directly with the essential weaving centers.

 

THE AFSHARI AND ZANDIEH PERIOD

The city of Mashhad ( Mash-had) became the new capital of carpet weaving activities and Afshari designs and motifs became the new name in the art of Persian carpet weaving. The carpets woven in the city of Mashhad and its subordinate cities bear their distinctive properties and characteristics. They are known by their warm colors, robust structures which makes them suitable for most household use and long life but also cheaper values which makes them distinctive from carpets woven in other major carpet weaving centers of Iran. Today many regions are adapted to Afshari designs and rugs and carpet designated the name of Afshari Carpet are woven in many parts of Iran.

The reign of Zandieh Dynasty that came to power after the fall of Afshari Dynasty, was short lived. During the new dynasty, the capital of Iran was once more moved from Mashhad to the city of Shiraz. During this period relative peace and economic growth prevailed, especially during the reign of its first king, Karim- Khan Zand. The Zandieh made efforts to revive the economic dynamics of Safavid era once more, especially during the time of Karim Khan, who allowed the British East India Company to open a trading post in the port city of Bushehr at the cost of Persian Gulf in order to revitalize foreign trade with European countries once more. Although no special progress was made regarding the art of carpet weaving during Zandieh period but encouraging artisanal works and fine arts as a whole had an inspiring and deep impact that was well carried on into the coming years as what became known as The school of Zandieh Art which inspired many future artists well to the time of the Qajar Dynasty and thus affected the art of carpet weaving indirectly .

 

Many of them found great opportunities in hand-woven Persian Carpet industry and hence initiated direct contact with major carpet weavers in the main carpet producing centers.

Companies such as Ziegler & Co started to invested heavily in the Iranian carpet weaving industry in order to respond to the growing need of wealthy European aristocracy that had started to flourish during the time of industrial revolution in Europe.

New designs were prepared and offered to weavers to produce carpets according to the taste of new customers; Dyeing techniques of raw materials such as wool, cotton, and silk were improved due to the rise in technical knowledge of the weavers through interaction with European traders.

 

PERSIAN CARPETS AND MODERN TIMES

Since the beginning of the Twentieth century, carpet weaving has gone through tremendous changes. Extensive improvements in preparation techniques of such raw materials as wool, cotton and silk and dyes, developments in new designs and patterns more standardization of sizing of carpets and rugs, the introduction of higher quality of raw materials imported from outside sources have considerably donated to the improvement of Persian Carpets & Rugs.

On the other hand, numerous organizations and companies were instituted in order to provide support to the more organized production of Persian Carpet in Iran during the last several decades. Currently, many Iranian institutes of higher education offer extensive academic courses on carpet weaving techniques, from the art of designing to the final stages of producing a genuine Persian Carpets.

There are also many governmental and private sector establishments supporting commercial aspects of carpet weaving by promoting and providing proper channels for marketing Persian Carpet worldwide.

It can be said that The art of Persian Carpet Weaving is a never-ending story, a story that shall be kept being told as long as the people who created it will keep on doing so. A story so colorful and vivid as the colors and patterns that have given The Persian Carpet its universal pomposity and magical enchantment of the ages. A story that has adorned the life of human being, whether by those who have put generations of efforts into creating it or those who have obtained it in order to decorate their lives with it and were fascinated by what they called The Magic Carpet.

MASTERS

MASTER ABDUL KARIM RAFIEI:

Name: Abdul Karim Rafiei
Dated of Birth: 1901 A.c (1218 according to Jalali Calendar)
Birthplace: Araak City

 

Abdul Karim Rafi-ee born in 1218 solar year (1840 A.c ) in Araak, his father was a professional carpet weaver who had a workshop in for carpet weaving at his house and he could sell the carpets which were weaved by his students. Abdul Karim was five when his father sent him to an old school in “ Samsaamiyeh” in Araak and after a while in some friends recommendation sent him for learning of drawing carpet plans.

 

He could become pretty good at coloring and designing and main elements of drawing carpet plans in fact. He loved those techniques in a way that he would hardly work on them even at late nights most of the time and at the end after a lots of hard work he succeeded to establish a carpet designing center with help of two other professionals in carpet plan designing in Araak city and works of this designing center had become an attention point to companies which were owned by American and European residents in Araak city. They successfully supplied all the company orders only by recruiting 14 staffs.

 

After a while Abdul Karim moved to Hamedan city and started a new work with the partnership of “Haj Ahmed Sanaa-ee”, in this job which took three years, he successfully created many designs for foreign companies. It is good to know that at the same time most of the carpet weavers used to weave carpets based on a wrong manner which didn’t have any specific design. Rafique's good work experience caused that “Haj Vakilul Roaayaa harmed any” order him numerous carpet designs for his big company.

 

In 1309 sun year ( in 1930 A.c ) his job was at his most famous levels. He used to design fifty carpet designs per week based on orders of carpet company for cities such as Malaayer – Toyieserkaan- Bijaar – Nahaavand so that carpet weavers of those cities would be able to weave their carpets based on right designs. Six years later all the carpet designers of Hamedan city became concentrated and created a united company which survived for a few years till in 1319 sun year (1941 A.c) Rafi-ee decided to leave Hamedan in order to expand his works and moved to Tehran. He was introduced to the association of “artists of beautiful arts “ and started his job. In 1339 sun year ( 1960 A.c) for disposing of Khorasan’s exhibition from “ Beautiful arts of the country “ Rafi-ee was sent to Khorasan province in order to collect the Khorasan carpets designs.

 

His study fields on this trip which took three months was on “Zari” and rugs designs which were in “Imam Reza “ ‘s treasury and museum of “Astaan Ghods Razavi”(استان قدس رضوی) ( In Khorasan, Mashhad city ) and at the end of this studies has gathered more than forty five worthy carpet plans and designs which are kept in “Beautiful Arts “ workshop. He has done lots of a great job during his activities in Iran’s Beautiful Arts.

 

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES

Khaanoom Design / Birjand Design / Araak Design / Turkman Design / Zaabol Design / Zahedan design / Shiraz Design / Ardebil Design / Kordestani Seh Rangy Design / Shaakh Gavazn va Ahoo Design

 

All of these designs which are mainly woven in Ghali sizes are exhibited in main Ghali exhibition in Finance Ministry, with some other “Ghaliche”s in 1961 a.c ( 1340 according to Jalaly Calendar). Here are names of some of his main works which has been sent to other countries in Ghali or Ghaliche shapes:

The Ghali with Kashan design style in 1954 a.c (1336 according to Jalali Calendar ) with the size of 86*64 cm, is one of his interesting works which is sent to Iranian Embassy in London in 1965 a.c ( 1339 according to Jalaly Calendar).

According to the cultural ministry affaire’s proposal, another design in Ghali was given to him, for Iranian Pavilion in UNSCO ( Paris), which was sent there, right after it was finished. There is a logo of UNSCO right in the center of the carpet and its base is in “Islimy Khataee” style which is decorated with “Shaah Abbasi” flowers, its Lachaks are full of flowers, the borders are in “slimy” style and the actual size of the carpet is 6*6 square meters.

According to the ministry of Post and Telegraph’s proposal, another design in Ghali was given to him, which was for international communication circular hall in Geneva and Master Rafiei-ee has left a number of valuable pieces that some of them are exhibited in Tehran’s museums.

 

MASTER ALI ASHRAF KASHANI:

Name: Ali Ashraf Kashani
Dated of Birth: 1963 A.c (1280 according to Jalali Calendar)
Birthplace: Kashan City

Ali Ashraf Kashani was born in 1901A.c (1280 Sun Year according to Jalali calendar) in Kashan city and after finishing his primary education, he became interested in “Gilding” ( or “Tazhib” (gilding) is an Arabic word which has been derived from “Zahab” meaning “gold”. Gilding currently means to draw beautiful patterns of plants or geometrical shapes on the margins of books) and little by little his attention turned to carpet weaving and he learned all the symbols of this style from age 14 to 18 and continued his practices under supervision of master Naaser Mostafavi and learned the fundamentals of staining and dotted painting .

In order to get more informed on the way that he stepped, he continued his learnings under the supervision Master Mirza Mahmood Khaan Mosavari about fundamentals of designing and then moved to Tehran and started his job in east office ( the office which was responsible for most of the carpet weaving workshops) and he established another branch of carpet designing with cooperation with Mirza Mahdi Javaheri within six months in Qum city.

After a while, he was invited to Qazvin by lesaan Al-sepehr, governor of Qazvin in that time and he moved to Qazvin in order to supply carpet designing process and carpet weaving correction and he established numbers of carpet weaving workshops in that city.

Ali Ashraf Kashani used lots of the experiences of the Master Doroodi and he drew about 18 design for palaces carpets and gilding of religious commandments pages which are mainly kept in National Art Museum.

 

MASTER ALI EBRAHIMI:

Name: Ali Ebrahimi
Dated of Birth: 1965 A. c (1282 Sun Year according to Jalali Calendar)
Birthplace: Tehran city

 

Master Ali Ebrahimi born in 1965 A.c (1282 according to Jalali Calendar) in Tehran and as he was so interested in the world of line and color, he started painting and designing carpets after he finished his studies.

His entrance to the ministry of economy in 1992 A.c (1309 Sun Year according to Jalali Calendar ), as the carpet designer and who draws carpets designs, led him to officially get hired in Department of industries. He became responsible for repairing the painting of Safi Abad’s palace walls.

Ali Ebrahimi as was teaching in Art School of Kamal al-Molk’s Paintings, as the master of carpet designing for several years, was working in Miniature (Miniature painting is a traditional style of art that is very detailed, often referred to as painting or working “in miniature”. Because of their origins as illuminations, they are also painted to have as smooth of a surface as possible) painting fields under the supervision of the Master Hossein Taher Zadeh and spent some time on painting as well.

This variation in different art fields caused him to be able to create such magnificent pieces. Most of his works include “Shekaar Gaahy”, Plants, flowers, trees, grass, bushes and it shows how much he was a deep link with nature and he got inspired by nature for choosing the right color for his designs.

 

RASSAM ARABZADEH

Name: Rassam Arabzadeh
Date of Birth: 1914 A.c (1293 according to Jalali Calendar)
Place of birth: Tabriz

Master Abolfath Ratify, also known as, Master Abolfath Rassam Arabzadeh, is of the most distinctive carpet weaving of Iran History. He was born in 1914 A.c (1293 according to Jalali Calendar) in Tabriz and his father Hossein Zaidi Ratify also known as, Sayyad Arab was one of the students of the famous painter kamal-ol Molk which he took the painting as his main profession, he was an immigrant Arab immigrated to Iran from Hijaz and so they were called Arab.

Since his childhood, he did learn the design and color from his father. He did his primary education in Maktab as the Iranian traditional education system and he did learn Holly Quran and alphabets in that time. He also studied in Adib School, Tehran, Rashidiyeh School of Tabriz and Tabriz Art School was the later educations of his young Ages.

One of his first products is weaving a portrait from a well-known face. He tried to implement the Valce Delave French Kublin Pattern and he redesigned it as the carpet weaving pattern, but by starting the weaving the design he realized that he has got a small knowledge on color combinations. So he collected the information on combinations of color from a friend which was working in a German Color paint factory, then by applying the knowledge that he had he finished his first carpet by name of Dance of Angles.

After experiencing the caricature and weaving different brand logos of companies, he started weaving rug and carpets exclusively. In this phase, his innovation in weaving started to show up. His first impressions were designed based on modern designing principles, like considering the scales and proportions but his most distinctive characteristics are designed which is called incorrect designs.

These patterns are a combination of different designs in opposition to current popular principles. As the popular and current methods of weaving the rugs and carpets were not quite applicable to his design patterns, by a huge effort he innovated the “Hanging Knot “ and other weaving methods.

50th and 40th decades are the efflorescence era of Arabzadeh. After a long period of efforts, he finally produced very distinctive material.

 

AHMAD ARCHANG

Name: Ahmad Archang
Date of Birth: 1913 A.c (1292 according to Jalali Calendar)
Place of birth: Isfahan

He Was Born in Isfahan 1913 A.c (1292 according to Jalali Calendar) With his passion for painting after finishing his primary educations, he started his true passion of painting. As a self-thought artist, inspired by the designs of the castles and the architecture of Safavid era, he started practicing the painting skill.

The designs of Naghsh Jahaan Sq. in Isfahan had a great effect in the implantation of his taste and he was always enchanted by the Sheik Lotfollah Mosque and Masjid Shah Mosque.

Occupation in a carpet weaving factory next to the Naghsh Jahan Sq. provided the best opportunity for the practice to be inspired by the influence of their designs .also paintings of the Raza Abbasi caused more influence and inspiration to produce the more genuine designs of the Safavid Era.

He passed away in spring 1396 due to cancer.

 

JAFAR RASHTIYAN

Name: Jafar Rashtiyan
Date of Birth: 1925 A.c (1304 according to Jalali Calendar)
Place of birth: Isfahan

The Late Master Jafar Rashtiyan was born in 1925 A.c (1304 according to Jalali Calendar) in Isfahan in an Artist Family. The Sudden Death of the father put him under the supervision of his Uncle whom he was one of the distinctive miniaturists and painters of his Time and to be educated by him in painting.

The Master Rashtiyan, the painter, Miniaturist and carpet designer in one of the most distinctive artists of Isfahan and during the precious life he has left so many distinctive students in different fields of the art which from them Shokrani and Ebrahimiyan may be named.

The main entrance of the hall of “Abbasi Hotel” In Isfahan is a sample of his precious art reflections.

 

REZA SHAKER

Name: Reza Shaker
Date of Birth:1912 A.c (1291 according to Jalali Calendar)
Place of birth: Isfahan

Born in 1912 A.c (1291 according to Jalali Calendar), he is one of the most elegant and top-level masters of coloring and carpet pointing in Isfahan. After finishing his primary education in old standards, started following his career in pointing and coloring of the carpets with Mr. Ahmad Archang.

Previously designs would not be colored as of today. It was left by the weaver to recolor the carpet on his or her own vision by providing the pointing of the carpet plan only. Also, the pointing was a complex process which was not an easy task to perform and was required to have proper experience and quality of the performer. The pattern of development of the knots was laid out in such a way that each knot was accommodated inside of each cell, and not in on the grids so that the outcome would not interfere the final design in term of aesthetic, beauty and the proportions.

By the presence of Mr. Sanei originally from Kashan to Isfahan, he enlighted the vision of Mr. Shaker on secrets of coloring of the carpet on the plan and by applying the new methods and personal taste and innovation in colors, the final result of recoloring of today was revealed.

In this period so many students have learned from him the principles of recoloring. the most famous student in his own era is Abbas Karbasiyoon.

 

WONDERS OF THE PERSIAN CARPET

THE STORY OF THE PAZYRYK CARPET - THE OLDEST RUG IN THE WORLD

The land surrounding Siberia’s Ukok Plateau is vast. Harsh in the winter, the region of Altai Krai is home to the Altai Mountains and the Ob River and her estuaries. The plateau descends into the Pazyryk Valley, which contains ancient kurgans (burial mounds) in the style of the Scythian peoples who inhabited the area in over two thousand years ago.

Archaeological digs in the area began in the 1920’s and unearthed a wealth of historically important items that offered an intriguing insight into the little known ancient nomadic tribes of the Pazyryk.

The Pazyryk Carpet most likely came from Central Asia, though it is really a tossup between Persia or Armenia. Both nations have traditions of carpet weaving spanning thousands of years, and the horses represented on the rug are nearly identical to horsemen on a frieze in the ancient Persian city of Persepolis. The possibility that the rug was produced by the Pazyryks is extremely slim because the sophistication and elegance of the design are indicative of a settled and cosmopolitan civilization, unlike the nomadic Pazyryks.

Based on a study of ancient artistic development, textile expert Ulrich Schurmann has reached the conclusion that the rug is of Armenian origin. The Persians also claim it as their own, believing that it’s an artifact from the Achaemenid Empire. For now, the exact origin of the Pazyryk Carpet will remain a mystery, but its significance and beauty is forever eternal.

 

The project has revived carpet economy in northeastern Iran which has a long history of carpet making.

Up to now, the world's largest carpet was in the Qabus Azam Mosque in Muscat, Oman. It also was the work of Iranian carpet weavers and shipped to Oman in 2000. This carpet was also made by Iran Carpet Company. It had an area of 5,000 square meters, weighing about 22 tons and was valued at $5.2 million.