Village and Commercial Rugs from Iran

Ferahan Rug
Iran, ca. 1900, Wool pile
194.3 x 130.8 cm (76 1/2 x 51 1/2 in.)
Anonymous loan

The style of coloring and ornamentation of this carpet suggests that it was woven in Heriz, which, like Ferahan, produced great quantities of carpets for export. Heriz weavings are among the most popular for interior decoration and home furnishing throughout the United States, and the pattern of wear on this rug indicates that it has been well used for this purpose. The presence in the border of what looks like an early synthetic orange dye in some details helps fix the date of the carpet’s production to the late 19th or early 20th century.