"All around the world,
Iranian carpets are the
symbol of poetical luxury.
A. Pope
When we talk of carpets,
involuntarily, the name of
Iran comes to mind. The
great art experts of the
world believe this fact. The
2 words of carpet and Iran
are synonymous in any
language, therefore, carpets
being the obvious symbol of
the Iranian talent in art.
We can positively affirm
that the finest and the most
sumptuous carpets of the
world are woven in Iran.
The art of carpet weaving in
Iran is deeply connected
with the culture and the
customs of the people of
this land and it sources
from their instinctive
feelings.
Iranian skillful carpet
weavers mix wonderful
patterns with admirable
colors. An art which is only
expected from outstanding
painters.
Art experts in the world
compare the Iranian carpet
to a multicolored pleasant
garden, full of flowers,
vegetables, birds and beasts
and terrestrial and
legendary creatures.
Everyone can possess this
little charming garden in
his house.
The Iranian carpet spread in
the most magnificent palaces
of the world or in simple
rustic rooms, ravishes the
eye and the soul by its
beauty.
Huan Tsang, the Chinese
world traveler (7th century
AD) praises in his writings
the artistry of Iranians in
weaving carpets and silken
cloths.
Tavernier and Charden, the
notorious explorers, have
visited the royal carpet
weaving workshops of Isfahan
during the Safavi reign.
Charden writes: the royal
reserves conserve the best
wool, the most delicate silk
and gold and silver
filaments for the weavers of
the royal court.

Prof. Pope states: the
priceless historical carpets
of Kashan are symbol of the
Iranian genuine art. The
different phases of
perfection in this industry,
show the life and the
culture of Iranian people.
The Iranian carpet in an
image of the time spirit of
this country's various arts.
It is not clearly known,
where the very first carpet
was woven. Archaeologists
and chronologists of the
history of art, believe that
carpet weaving was invented
by the people whose main
live of occupation was
cattle raising.
Agriculture and cattle
raising were among the first
occupations of the
inhabitants of the Iranian
plateau.
These people who were in
contact with domestic
animals, gradually became
familiar with the
utilization of wool and its
properties. Garment making
was the first step and
gradually a sort of weaving
was established for covering
the floor.
These primitive rugs
replaced the hides of
animals, formerly used as
floor coverings.
Considering this process, it
is acceptable that those
inhabitants of the Iranian
plateau whose occupation was
cattle raising and
agriculture, are the first
weavers of carpet and the
inventors of this art.
The most ancient Iranian
carpet adorns one of the
halls of the "Hermitage"
museum in Leningrade.
This carpet which is partly
intact was accidentally
discovered by Prof. Rodenko,
in the border of Moqolestan,
a region called "Pazirik",
under piles of ice.
This Pazirik carpet was
placed in the large
sarcophagus (coffin) of a
Satrap (Hakhamaneshian
governor general, 33~35O BC)
near his mummified body.
Thus carpet weaving has been
common in Iran since at
least 25 centuries ago.
The Pazirik carpet was used
to cover horses and
according to Rodlenko's
statement, was made by Mad,
or Pars (Hakhamaneshian)
artists. The measures of
this carpet are 2xl.83
meters, and its exact copy
has been reconstructed.

Images of a mythical winged
creature, a yellow-spotted
deer, and a man mounted on a
horse or standing near it
have all been repeatedly
woven in the margins. The
yellow-spotted deer is one
of the rarest animals in the
world that principally lived
near the shores of the
Caspian Sea, in the north of
Iran.
This animal is famous in the
world as the yellow deer of
Iran. The image of the
yellow deer on the Pazirik
carpet is an important proof
that authenticates the
Iranian origin of this
carpet. This subject
propounded for the first
time here can be the source
of new studies on the images
of the Pazirik carpet. The
images in the context of
this carpet are made of few
paralleled rows of tetra
petal flowers.

Colors used in the Pazirik
carpet are dark red, green,
blue, yellow and pale
orange.
From the blooming period of
the art of carpet weaving in
Iran, relatively numerous
samples are being preserved
in the world's greatest
museums and private
collections.
200 pieces of these carpets
are among the indisputable
masterpieces of the art of
carpet weaving of Iran.
Art experts in Iran and
around the world have
published numerous books and
essays about the most
outstanding carpets of Iran.
These carpets are the
reminiscence of the golden
age of carpet weaving in
Iran.
The "Ardebil" carpet
preserved in the museum of
"Victoria and Albert" in
London, from the viewpoint
of design and weaving is one
of the world's most famous
and precious carpets. This
carpet was woven in 1539 AD,
and its warp and woof are of
silk.
The "Hunting Ground" carpet
preserved in the "Art and
Industry" museum of Austria
is also among the most
sumptuous and precious
carpets of the world.
Images show hunters, while
hunting different sorts of
animals. This carpet was
woven in the 16th century
and is entirely made of
silk.
Other samples of the
'Iranian famous carpets are
preserved in the museums of
Paris, Metropolitan,
Iran-e-Bastan and
Astaneh-Kodseh Razavi in the
city of Mashhad.
In 1601 AD, also several
pieces of costly silken
carpets were woven in Kashan
by the order of Sigmond
Vaza, King of Poland.
These carpets bearing the
imperial insignia of Poland
are preserved in the
"presidentz" museum of
Warsaw.

The artists of the Safavi
era have created the world's
most magnificent
masterpieces, and the Safavi
reign is considered to be
the brilliant era of this
art. The painters of the
Safavi era comprised a deep
transformation in the
patterns and designs of
carpets. And skillful
weavers using the choicest
kinds of wool and silk, gave
life to their imaginations.
The carpets of this era are
generally in silk. The
subject of their patterns
are: cypress trees, floral
designs, scenes of hunting
grounds and patterns. The
main part of the carpet is
the context; and the
patterns in the margins help
reveal the beauty of the
context. Iranian carpets are
of 3 kinds: carpets, rugs
(small carpets), and side
carpets. Rugs are smaller
than carpets and side
carpets are used to cover
the corridors and the
margins of a room. The
designs and colors of
Iranian carpets are unique
and very diverse. Now a
day, the patterns of
superior carpets borrow
inspirations from those of
the Safavi era.
The art of carpet weaving is
common almost in all the
cities and villages of Iran.
Cities, villages and rustic
regions are major centers of
carpet production.
The cities of Kashan,
Isfahan, Tabriz, Mashhad,
Kerman, Qom, Nain, Sanandaj,
Arak and Hamedan are the
main centers where costly
carpets are woven. Rustic
people use agreeable styles
in weaving carpets. From the
old times, women and the
youth, girls and boys are
the best carpet weavers in
Iran.
The out of designing carpets
has always instinctively
existed in their hearts.
Through time, the designs of
these carpets have been
prepared by great masters.
ToDay, outstanding designers
have set forth innovations.
Iran is the birthplace of
wonderful designs for
carpets.
The patterns of Iranian
carpets are mostly inspired
from those of the unique
Iranian tile-works and
miniature.
Images of gardens, full of
flowers and trees, different
types of birds and animals,
legendary creatures, scenes
of hunting grounds and
design, bestow a paradisiac
beauty to Iranian carpets.
Iranian carpets possess at
once the 3 qualities of
fineness, elegance and
durability, and for these
reasons are unique in the
world. The skillful carpet
weavers are anonymous
artists. Only a few weavers
of carpets left behind from
the past are known. Carpet
weaving is a complicated
art, showing at the utmost
level the talent, taste,
perseverance and the
creativity of Iranian
artists. In addition, it
requires months of ceaseless
effort, work and high costs.
The examination of the art
of carpet weaving requires
an elaborated and detailed
chapter in the history of
arts in Iran. From a certain
point of view this chapter
seems endless.
|