Isfahan Semi Antique Multi 100x159
100 x 159 cm

Isfahan has a long tradition of carpet tying. During the Safavid dynasty (16th to early 18th century) and especially during the reign of Shah Abbas, the art of carpet weaving in the city had a heyday, and older Isfahan carpets are highly sought after. In 1722, however, the town was invaded by the Afghans and carpet-knot production did not recover properly until the beginning of the 20th century. The finest Isfahan carpets come from the city's famous carpet studios, such as Seirafian, Davari, Enteshar and Haghighi. The older, classical Isfahan rugs have patterns that have survived since the end of the 16th century with the Tree of Life motif, often enclosed in a beautiful portal drawing with patterns from flora and fauna, gardens, vases, Shah Abbas patterns, hunting scenes or naturalistically rendered motifs from classical poetry. Among modern Isfahan carpets you will find all traditional motifs, but most common today is a bright carpet with a circular central medallion surrounded by winding palmettes and flowers. A design that reminds you of the proximity to Nain. The color scale is usually discreet and has adapted to contemporary wishes by excluding the strong red shades in favor of light pastels. The Isfahan carpets count the knot density in kheft per meter, i.e. the different colored warp threads you can see on the underside of the carpet at the fringes. The higher the number, 7-16, the higher the knot density. The carpets are also sold under the name Esfahan.