Classic rugs are the result of centuries of refinement in weaving traditions. While rug making began as a simple need for comfort in the home, the rise of urban societies and noble patronage cultivated a taste for elegance and artistic sophistication. In these settings, carpets became essential elements of luxurious interior space. The creation of a classic rug involves planning and precision. The spontaneity found in nomadic or village weavings gives way to carefully designed compositions. A master weaver supervises the process, while artists draft the naqsha on graph paper with mathematical accuracy, assigning each coloured square to a specific knot. The weavers follow this detailed map over months, and sometimes years, to complete a rug that meets the expectation of harmony, proportion, and refinement. Classic rugs are admired for their craftsmanship, balanced designs, and the meticulous skill required to bring them to life.
Weaving a classic rug could take years!
Weaving a rug is a meticulous and time-consuming task. Weavers must tie hundreds of thousands, and sometimes even millions, of knots over an extended period. To achieve perfection, each knot must be identical in shape and form. The skilled hands of the weavers, moving with symphonic precision, create enchanting designs.
Colours and squares turn into knots!
Designers draft the pattern on graph paper for the weavers to follow. The weavers translate each square into a knot in the corresponding colour. The process of designing a rug can take weeks, and sometimes even months.
8250 A Tbriz in an unusual design and clour combination. 274x172cm
No. 8250 - 274x172cm. Circa 1970s
An unusual Tabriz - Wool and silk on a cotton base
Tabriz, an ancient city in north-west Iran, long served as a major trading gateway between Europe and the Persian Empire. Tabriz carpets are renowned for both their quality and their wide range of designs. The city’s designers often move beyond traditional symmetrical patterns and the conservative colour schemes seen in other centres like Isfahan, creating a distinctive artistic diversity. Tabriz weavers use symmetric knots and are known for producing very fine rugs. Silk may be used in the warps, wefts, or floral details. With proper techniques, fine knots, and good quality wool and dyes, Tabriz carpets are durable and age gracefully.
1169622
Ordobadi–Shiraz Rug, No. 169622
Early 20th Century, 146 × 106 cm
Wool on Cotton
The workshop of Ordobadi in Shiraz operated from the late 19th century to the early decades of the 20th century, producing a limited number of rugs now known as Ordobadi–Shiraz pieces. These carpets are celebrated not only for their rarity but also for their distinctive harmony of colour and design.
Master Ordoubadi, an aesthete originally from the Azerbaijani city of Ordubad, brought together an extraordinary blend of skills. He appointed a master-weaver from Yazd to oversee the workshop, while the weaving itself was carried out by artisans of Qashqai descent. This fusion of artistic traditions, Azerbaijani taste, Yazdi technical refinement, and Qashqai weaving heritage resulted in rugs of exceptional individuality.
This early 20th-century example reflects that unique blend perfectly, standing as a testament to a short-lived but remarkable chapter in Persian carpet making.
12492- A nain-Tudashk rug. Ca. early 20the century 220x152cm
No. 12492 - 220x152cm. Circa early 20th century
A Nain Tudashk - Wool on a cotton base
A century ago, Nain was renowned for producing Aba, a traditional Persian cloak crafted from wool yarn by skilled weavers. However, with the introduction of industrial fabrics from the West in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which quickly became fashionable, the demand for these local garments declined, leading to the closure of many workshops.
In response, the production of Persian carpets gained momentum, particularly due to rising demand in Europe and America. Local investors, such as the Habibian and Mofidi brothers, seized the opportunity and brought in master weavers from the neighbouring city of Isfahan.
They employed local yarn spinners, dye masters, and former Aba weavers to establish carpet workshops, creating the first generation of Nain rugs. One of the unique characteristics of these rugs was the use of traditional colours—varied shades of blue, tan, beige, and white—colours that had previously been used to dye yarn for the Aba cloaks.
The finest and earliest examples of Nain rugs were produced in the village of Tudashk, on the outskirts of Nain, renowned for their exceptional craftsmanship and quality. The example here is one of the best Nain–Tudashk rugs, showing an exquisite colour combination and the finest quality wool.
No. 166271 - 284x196cm. Circa 1960s
Tabriz, signed Narvani - Wool on cotton base
Without a doubt, Khayyam is one of the most famous Persian poets in the world, with his profound poetry translated by Edward Fitzgerald into English in 1859:
"A Book of verses underneath the bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread – and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness –
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise enow!"
This carpet celebrates Omar Khayyam by depicting one of his favourite historical figures, Bahram the Hunter, who reigned over the Persian Empire from 420 to 438 AD. Known for his exceptional hunting skills, Bahram was, according to Khayyam, unparalleled in his time, with none like him before or after. He is also celebrated by Khayyam and other poets for spreading prosperity and justice throughout his land.
The poetry surrounding the carpet includes one of Khayyam's most famous verses:
"I went to the potter’s shop yesterday,
I saw a thousand pots, mute and shouting, on display.
Suddenly, one roared as if to say,
Gone in clay are the potters, buyers, and sellers today."
The designer, Mr. Narvani, was celebrated for his refined sense of colour and uncompromising choice of high-quality materials—hallmarks that are clearly embodied in this piece.
147920 212x137cn
A Kashan Rug, No. 147876
First Half of the 20th Century, 206 × 138 cm
Wool on Cotton
In the long history of Persian carpet art, the greatest designers have created works so remarkable that they transcend time and become the very tradition that others follow. Their influence has shaped generations, making it rare to encounter a rug that moves beyond these established forms.
This exceptional Kashan from the first half of the 20th century is one such rarity. Here, the designer works with unusual freedom, allowing the composition to breathe in ways that gently challenge the structure expected of a classic rug. The borders seem to emerge from within the field itself, creating a visual rhythm that feels both familiar and quietly defiant.
Its fluid drawing, expressive palette and confident reinterpretation of form give the piece a distinctive presence—one that stands out effortlessly in even the most discerning collection. A true collector’s delight, it carries an added charm: it comes with an identical twin, offering the rare pleasure of appreciating this remarkable vision in double measure.
59901 425x315
No. 59901 - 425x315cm. Circa 1950s
Isfahan - Wool on cotton base
Isfahan was the seat of several Persian royal dynasties, the last of them being the Safavids, who made the city their capital in 1598. Originating in Azerbaijan, the Safavids unified Iran under their rule and contributed to a renaissance of art and science for two centuries. Many classic carpet designs, particularly those from the city, are inspired by patterns from the 16th and 17th centuries. The carpet here is a beautiful example of such rugs. The flowers in its design are attributed to King Abbas the Great (reigned 1588 to 1629). Hence, the motif is known as the Shah Abbasi design.
Safavid Art remains inspiring and very relevant to the world of classic rugs.
Safavid artists elevated Persian art to new heights that continue to stun viewers to this day. They built magnificent architecture with elaborate murals, glamorous ceramic work, and stunning structures, as well as splendid rugs to cover their floors. Urban rug designs are still influenced by the Safavid era, from which it has proven difficult to deviate, even after four centuries.
137565 394x206
No. 137565 - 304x206cm. Contemporary
Isfahan - Wool on cotton base
“Isfahan is half the world!” So goes the popular proverb among the people of Isfahan. They are proud of their history as the capital of the Iranian empire during one of the most glorious periods of its existence from 1501 to 1736 AD, and of the extent and beauty of the architecture and art that remain from those days, as well as the artistry and traditions that continue to this day. The artisans, and particularly the weavers of the city, are world-famous for a variety of arts including carpet making. Designs of Isfahan rugs are mostly drafted with mathematical precision and woven with care, generally in fine knots and often on silk bases, such as the example above. The knots used in Isfahan rugs are proper asymmetric knots that are popular in central and eastern Iran.
58009-500x355
No. 58009 - 500x355 cm. Circa early 20th century
A Tabriz - Wool on a cotton base
Weavers of Tabriz are responsible for creating some of the most astonishing carpets in the world. They are always free-spirited and eager to innovate new designs. Such enthusiasm for creativity has made the carpets from Tabriz and the surrounding areas vastly diverse. Countless designs and colour combinations are reflections of numerous artistic minds.
The one here is one of such rugs. The beautiful shade of red and other mesmerising hues demonstrate the skill of the dye master. The harmonious dancing of the scrolls and flowers demonstrates the designer's artistic mind. Finally, it is the skilled hands of the weaver who have transformed the design into a carpet.
147876-206x138
Qum Silk Rug, No. 147876
1930s, 206 × 138 cm
Silk on Cotton
An early work from Qum’s emerging weaving tradition, shaped in the years when masters from neighbouring Kashan established workshops in the city and introduced their refined aesthetic. Though new to rug weaving at the time, Qum drew upon the millenary tradition of Persian carpet art that surrounded it, allowing its craftsmen to absorb, reinterpret and elevate centuries of knowledge. Woven in the 1930s with exceptionally fine silk cultivated in the Gorgan plains near the Caspian Sea, this piece reflects the creative dawn of carpet art in Qum, when the pioneer artists of the city began shaping a new visual language inspired by the finest classical Persian designs.
The delicately drawn medallion, graceful floral sprays and luminous palette express the artistic sensibility that came to define Qum’s celebrated silk weaving. A rare example from this formative era, it continues to enchant with its quiet sophistication, sheen and meticulous beauty.
62177-400x304
The essential step in creating a carpet that could stand higher than the others is a designers' audacity—the courage to break the traditions to be creative and disregard the norms. The beautiful Nain here is one of such extraordinary rugs. Circa 1980. Wool and silk on cotton. 204x315cm.
A designer laboriously drafts the design on paper before the weavers translate it into an intricate classic carpet.
158910 302x413
71169 247x248
162313 361 x 275
8250 274x172cm
