Carpets - The Gate to the Heaven
Size: 343 x 258 cm
Origin and time: Isfahan, 18th century
Carpet Museum of Iran, Tehran
No. of Raj: 75
The Persian city of Isfahan is famous for the manufacture of rugs and carpets. The weaving of carpets flourished during the Safavid era (1502-1736). However, at the end of the Safavid dynasty, brought about by an Afghan invasion, this craft was abandoned.
The people of Isfahan resumed carpet weaving only in the 1920s. They started to weave Safavid designs and Isfahan became once again one of the most important centers of the Iranian rug weaving industry.
The rugs and carpets usually have ivory backgrounds with blue and indigo motifs, often very symmetrical and with balanced designs, frequently a single medallion surrounded by vines and palmettos. The patterns are often inspired by the tile works in the mosques or the gardens of the cities and palaces. The material, mostly wool, and the colours are of the highest quality.
