22605-Isfahan (circa 1960 Seirafian)/Hand-Knotted/Handmade Persian Rug/Carpet Traditional Authentic/ Size: 11'0" x 7'0"

Babak's Oriental Carpets

1 in stock

Large Carpet

NR: 22605
Location: Isfahan (Circa 1960 Seirafian)
Size: 11'0" x 7'0"
Country: Iran
Pile: Wool+Silk
Base: Silk
ISFAHAN

Details:

Seirafian - Isfahan~

The Seirafian Family is known for the...
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NR: 22605
Location: Isfahan (Circa 1960 Seirafian)
Size: 11'0" x 7'0"
Country: Iran
Pile: Wool+Silk
Base: Silk
ISFAHAN

Details:

Seirafian - Isfahan~

The Seirafian Family is known for the highest quality carpets coming from the Iranian city of Isfahan. These Seirafian Isfahans are considered the best of the best. They became very famous for their incredible construction, impeccable quality, and beautiful design.

The tradition dates back to 1939, when Haj Agha Reza Seirafian (1881-1974) left the banking and investment trade to enter the carpet business. He entered the trade by acquiring two unfinished carpets from a master-weaver for money he was owed. He completed those two rugs, and then set out to improve the quality of Isfahan carpets by tripling the knots per square inch. By doing this the knot counts jumped from 270 k/psi to 500 k/psi and higher. 

He also made sure the highest quality materials used. Major upgrades to materials was almost exclusively using pure silk warp and wefts, kurk wool, as well as silk in the pile. Kurk wool is sheared from the chest and shoulders of lambs and is one trademark of a premium Persian Seirafian rug. This fine wool is what allows the weavers to achieve such a high knot count. Almost all Seirafian are branded with their trademark signature “Bafte Iran Esfahan Seirafian.” This is written in Farsi and knotted right into the pile of the carpet.

At the beginning although Seirafian rugs were admired for their quality, some competitors were disgruntled. Seirafian was sued by other carpet makers in the city, alleging he was paying his employees to high a wage. They stated that this made for unfair competition to procure skilled weavers. Luckily, the courts ruled in favour of the Seirafian Family. They were able to continue to produce high quality carpets and pay their employees a fair wage.

Through the years more and more family members became involved. Seirafian’s seven sons all entered the family business. 

Isfahans are hand knotted on a vertical loom using a Persian knot and very high densities ranging from 160 to 400 knots per square inch.  Silk Isfahans have densities approaching 600 knots per square inch.  The warp is often made of cotton and the pile is always closely cropped, usually wool and silk.  More often than not, silk is utilized in the decorations to heighten the visual effect of the carpets, bestowing on them a certain gleam.

Description:  

Isfahans are considered the crème de la crème of Persian carpets.  Created in the master workshops of the city of Isfahan, one of the most prestigious cities of the Middle East, they were probably the first Persian carpets to be known and appreciated in Europe.  In fact, during the reign of Shah Abbas (1587-1629) many carpets woven by the craftsmen of Isfahan were given as gifts to dignitaries and rulers from the West.  These examples were in silk and sometimes included the use of silver and gold thread.  The appearance of Isfahans produced in the last 50 years under the Pahlavi influence is radically different from those produced in the later 19th and early 20th centuries.  These older items tend to employ a richer palette and more varied designs.  In contemporary items the palette is more pastel and technical perfection is generally of greater importance than artistic flair.  Contemporary Isfahans are, however, extremely attractive, and the subduing of the palette, particularly the elimination of strong reds, makes them more compatible with Western decorative schemes.

 Isfahans all have a floral design, usually with a central medallion on a field decorated by a motif of interlaced flowering branches or what is commonly referred to as the Shah Abbas motif.  Some specimens also have four corners decorated with the same motifs (Shah Abbas) and colors as those represented in the central medallion.  Carpets with scenes of flowers and animals are also quite common.  Another decoration that is typical of this area is the one known as ‘vase of flowers.’  The field of this carpet has at the bottom a vase from which flowering branches emerge and cover the whole of the field.  In these examples, the field is often in the form of a niche, and therefore there are two quarters at the top of the niche at the opposite end from the vase.

The border of Isfahans is usually made up of a large central band framed by two narrow guards that, in turn, are enclosed between two even narrower bands.  The latter are almost always decorated with a Greek-key motif, while the two guards have rosette motif joined by a garland.  The main border band often has a herati motif in a very elaborate form (herati designs are diamond-shaped geometric forms with floral heads both inside and surrounding).  In carpets with a decoration of plants and animals the ground motifs are repeated in the border.  A broad color range is used in Isfahan carpets and the craftsmen were masters at creating a harmonious combination of ground and design by alternating light and dark colors.

 

Price Range and Value:

HIGH

A good quality Isfahan is generally considered an assured investment.
For any further questions please call us at: (250) 480-7114

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