Tabriz Rugs
History / Background
Tabriz is the dominant city of Northwest Iran/Persia and is the second largest city in Iran. Tabriz has been a center of the Persian carpet trade for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years. Tabriz carpets are symmetrically knotted. Quality spans all grades from Bazaar quality all the way up to some of the best rugs woven in Iran.
Historically Iran or Persia is divided into four major regions. For most of the last 2500 years the dominant region has been either Tabriz or Khorasan. Tabriz is both a major city and the major city of Persian Azerbaijan. When I say Azerbaijan I must note that Azerbaijan extended up into the southern part of Georgia, Dagestan, Azerbaijan. While Tabriz is the center of a much reduced area it is still the second city of modern Iran.
Tabriz is probably the most prolific carpet-producing center in the world, and certainly one of the oldest. This enchanted city was established more than a thousand years ago.
After many invasions, occupations and wars, Tabriz took the ancient techniques of the past and created a huge rug-exporting industry. The finest era of Persian rug weaving was the Safavid Dynasty (1499 – 1722), when the Safavids overthrew the Turks who had occupied Tabriz. They gave the city one of the first Royal workshops, making it the artistic center of Persian culture. In spite of all the later conquests and political restructurings, Tabriz managed to keep these ancient traditions alive.
Today, many rugs produced in Tabriz emulate the artististic heritage of the Persian Safavid carpet, and when a designer in any part of the world wants to commission a certain pattern to be hand-woven, Tabriz is the city that he visits.
Attesting to their pride in producing fine carpets, the master-weavers of Tabriz often weave their signature into a part of the carpet’s border. These signatures can, of course, be found on extremely fine rugs made in other cities, but a signature on the ‘ceremonial’ border of a Tabriz Naqsheh is the ultimate in formality and sophistication.
The material used for the pile of these rugs are wool, silk, or a combination of the two. A beautiful blend of fine Kurk wool and silk is the most common in a fine Tabriz, with wool only used in those of average quality. In the very finest carpets, the foundation of the rug is pure silk instead of cotton, and some even have 18 or 24 karat gold threads woven into the foundation, with 300 to 800 KPSI not being uncommon. The only rugs that can be compared with a fine Tabriz are Isfahans, Kashans, Kermans, Qums, and Nains. Most spectacular are the Nagsheh (some of the many hundreds of beautiful patterns are still owned by private families), the intricate, restrained Mahi (the Decorator’s carpet), or the magnificent Dome, depicting the internal architecture of a mosque.
A shop in Tabriz Carpet Market
Rug Composition
Size: All sizes made up to 15 by 30
Structure: Symmetrical knot. 100 to 400 knots per square inch.
Yarn Spin: Z.
Warp: White cotton
Weft: 2 shots cotton.
Pile: 2 wool singles.
Ends:
Selvages: 1 cord plain wool.
Handle: Light – medium.
Further Notes: The best rugs of Tabriz stack up well against the best rugs of any rug made in Iran. The worst rugs of Tabriz are as bad as any. The part to watch is the back. On the low end Tabriz rugs the weavers can make a substantial rug with comparatively little wool. On less expensive Tabriz Carpets it is important to make sure that there is substantial pile and that the foundation does not make up the whole rug.
Examples:
Ardabil Carpet Pattern
8 Lobe Medallion Carpet
Tabriz rug of ‘Lotto’ design Circa 1920
MEASUREMENTS
173 by 136cm., 5ft. 5in. by 4ft. 6in.
Tabriz Persian carpet c. 1880
MEASUREMENTS
Approximately 9ft. 1in. by 6ft. 5in. (2.77 by 1.96m.)
DESCRIPTION
Circa 1880 silk highlights, partial end guard stripes, small repaired slit in medallion.
Tabriz Persian Prayer Rug c. 1890
MEASUREMENTS
Approximately 6ft. 1in. by 4ft. 6in. (1.85 by 1.37m.)
DESCRIPTION
Circa 1890. The copper mihrab with a flowering vase, fish-filled fountain and birds beneath a dragon-formed column supported arch within an ivory rosette and palmette border, remnants of original end finishes, moth damage, holes, losses to selvage.
16th Century Safavid Tabriz Carpet Fragment
Northwest Persia, first half 16th century missing main borders, guard borders rewoven at each end, small reweaves, 3 inch split, overcast on all four sides, approximately 10ft. 6in. by 5ft. 5in. (3.20 by 1.65m.)
A Tabriz Carpet, circa 1910
Northwest Persia, circa 1910, overcast sides, minor repiling, approximately 15ft. 8in. by 11ft. (4.77 by 3.35m.)
Antique Tabriz Persian Carpet signed Hadad
Rare antique wool carpet Signed: master weaver Hadad
Origin: Persia, Tabriz
Dimension: 3.65m x 2.75m
12′ x 9′
Tabriz Carpet c. 1890
MEASUREMENTS
Approximately 20ft. 8in. by 14ft. 5in. (6.30 by 4.39m.)
DESCRIPTION
Circa 1890 original end finishes one end, overcast sides.
Antique Tabriz Rugs: Formal Mahi Pattern Carpet
Size (ft.): 8’1 x 11’8
Size (cm.): 246 x 356
Colors: Royal Blue Dark Salmon
Woven: Hand knotted
Foundation: Cotton
Pile: Wool
Style: Mahi
Category: City
Origin: Tabriz Persian Rug
Age: Aged 20-30 years
Condition: Excellent
Antique Tabriz Rugs: Haj Baba Ganjei Tabriz Carpet 19th C
MEASUREMENTS
Approximately 12ft. 2in. by 9ft. 4in. (3.71 by 2.84m.)
DESCRIPTION
Last quarter 19th century
Inscription cartouche reading “the work of Haj Baba Ganjei”
Hooked Lobe Tabriz Carpet
Size (ft.): 7’11 x 11’4
Size (cm.): 241 x 346
Colors: Pistachio, Dark Beige
Woven: Hand knotted
Foundation: Cotton
Pile: Wool
Style: Tabriz
Category: City
Origin: Tabriz Persian Rug
Age: Aged 20-30 years
Condition: Excellent Historically Revived Vintage Enhanced.
Ivory Ground Tabriz Carpet
Size (ft.): 6’4 x 9’6
Size (cm.): 193 x 290
Colors: Beige, Blue-Navy
Woven: Hand knotted
Foundation: Cotton
Pile: Wool
Style: Tabriz
Category: City
Origin: Tabriz Persian Rug
Age: 0-10 years
Condition: Excellent
Room Size Tabriz Carpet
Tabriz Carpet, Iran, 20th century.
Size: 6 foot 8 inch by 9 foot 9 inch.
Structure: Symmetrical knot. 7 knots per horizontal inch and 8 knots per vertical inch. 56 per square inch (868 per square decimeter)
Yarn Spin: Z.
Warp: 1 ply white cotton.
Weft: 2 shot gray cotton.
Pile: 2 wool singles.
Ends: Post-hitch wharf knot with 2 inch braided warp fringe.
Selvages: 1 cord blue wool.
Handle: Soft, heavy, durable.
Further Notes: Excellent condition.
Safavid Palmettes Tabriz Rug
Size (ft.): 3’5 x 5’1
Size (cm.): 103 x 155
Colors: Beige, Red
Woven: Hand knotted
Foundation: Cotton
Pile: Wool/Silk
Style: Tabriz
Category: City
Origin: Tabriz Persian Rug
Age: 0-10 years
Condition: Excellent
Shah Abbas Tabriz carpet C. 1930
Tabriz Persian carpet, north west Persia about 1930.
10ft.8in. x 8ft.1in. 3.25m. x 2.46m. Slight even wear.
Tabatabaei Tabriz Carpet
Tabriz Carpet by Haddad c. 1920
MEASUREMENTS
Approximately 13ft. 2in. by 9ft. 10in. (4.01 by 3.00m.)
DESCRIPTION
Circa 1925 inscription cartouche to one end, original end finishes one end.
Tabriz Carpet c 1890
MEASUREMENTS
Approximately 15ft. 10in. by 10ft. 2in. (4.83 by 3.10m.)
DESCRIPTION
Circa 1890
Condition Note: minor losses to ends, overcast sides
Tabriz Carpet c 1920
MEASUREMENTS
Approximately 14ft. by 10ft. 2in. (4.27 by 3.10m.)
DESCRIPTION
Circa 1920
Condition Note:
Overcast sides
Tabriz Carpet c. 1910
MEASUREMENTS
Approximately 14ft. 11in. by 11ft. 1in. (4.55 by 3.38m.)
DESCRIPTION
Circa 1910 some oxidized light browns and khakis, overcast sides, glue residue to reverse, tinting.