HOT ! Vintage Persian Kashan Rug

This rug comes from Kashan, a city in central Iran that has been weaving since at least the 15th century and is recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of carpet weaving. Nearly one in three residents of Kashan is employed in carpet making, with the skills passed from mothers to daughters across generations. This is not a city that learned to weave. It is a city that exists to weave.

The quality of Kashan weaving is immediately recognisable. Hand-knotted using the Persian knot on a cotton foundation, the pile is exceptionally soft and lustrous, woven with a precision so fine that the back of a Kashan rug is nearly as beautiful as the front. The designs are refined and sophisticated, elaborate central medallions surrounded by symmetrical floral fields, swirling vines, lotus blossoms and palmettes worked with a level of detail that takes years to master.

As a vintage piece, the colours have already softened and the pile has developed the kind of depth and lustre that only age and quality wool together produce.