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I'm hoping someone can provide info about this rug I bought about forty years ago. It is 23" x 35"
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Hi Henry,
A close-up image of the back of the rug, and the edges, and some comments on the nature of the materials would be helpful.
Regards
Chuck -
Based on a specific motif of the 0f the 8 sided star, the floral meander border and the center motifs located in the triangles are all directed at the Caucasus rugs. Some of these motifs are used in Turkey, Persia and Central Asia and each are slightly different. Yours looks Caucasian from what I can see on the small picture. If you know the weave such as Symmetrical or Asymmetrical, and if it’s wool on wool or cotton, that would help.Joe LawrenceComment
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I have yet to learn the weave types or how to determine the difference between wool and cotton. I just bought what I believed to be older rugs that I liked, and I've added a few close-ups.
Henry RancourtComment
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You can snip a stray fiber from the pile and the fringe (warps). Burn the fiber. If it smells like burnt hair it’s wool. If it doesn’t, it’s cotton.
Knots: Do a little research on Turkish Knot (Symmetrical) and Persian Knot (Asymmetrical open right or left) The knots have different names but the names I listed are the most common ones used.
They are fairly easy to identify and most often, it’s a good starting point for origin or region of the piece since not all areas use the same knot structure. An eye loop and knot counter helps too.
Last edited by Joe Lawrence; 04-03-2026, 03:56 AM.Joe LawrenceComment
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I am aware of the burn test, wool smells like hair and cotton smells like paper, but I didn't think a single strand would be sufficient so I didn't want to cut anything. Guess I give it a try. And I do know the fringes of my rugs are the actual warp threads because I can see and feel where they are knotted. And I have seen photos and drawing of the various knots and looked at the back of my rugs but couldn't tell using my reading glasses. I try a using a 10X loupe. Are warps and wefts usually the same material?Henry RancourtComment
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I'd guess that it's a Northwest Persian piece, loosely related to a Mina Khani design, and early 20th century.
All the best,
JohnComment
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Henry,
I think John is on the right track. The simple reciprocal floral border is very common on Kurdish work from northwest Iran, and some of the northern and western Hamadan villages. The use of the overall herati field design is widespread in the region, particularly with rugs from the Bijar region and from Tabriz. But almost all of the Bijar rugs have severe warp depression, and yours does not. Some early Bijars have a wool foundation and little warp depression but they are thin, have different selvage methods, and larger field motif implementation.
Regards
ChuckComment
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I've read that Bijar rugs use a unique weaving process, were the weft is dampened with water and beaten down next to the knots, that results in very stiff, hard to fold rugs and they are called iron rugs. My rug is very pliable and easily folded so I doubt it is a Bijar.Henry RancourtComment
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This appears to be single wefted, so Hamadan region would not likely be far off.Erika'sComment
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This appears to be single wefted, so Hamadan region would not likely be far off.
Patrick Weiler
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