A Fine Isfahan from the City of Shahs

Isfahan was elevated to capital of the Persian empire in 1598 under the Safavid Shahs, and from that moment the city's knotting workshops began producing rugs of an unprecedented refinement. Today, a small number of Isfahan workshops continue this lineage — names such as Seirafian, Haghighi, Davari, Mehdie and Heghmatneshad among them — producing pieces that count among the most finely drawn knotted rugs in the world.

This piece was hand-knotted in Isfahan, Iran, by master weavers in the city's direct tradition. The pile is 90 % wool (finest Kurkwool) and 10 % silk, on a pure silk warp. Knot density is approximately 800,000 knots per m² (516 knots per inch²) — the level at which the floral medallion and dense curling arabesques reach the precision they deserve.

Composition and Palette

A dark-red inner field carries a dark-blue central medallion with dense curling arabesques radiating outward, closed at the corners by ivory spandrels drawn with fine floral scrollwork. A dark-blue border frames the composition; gold, beige and pale-blue florals run through the field and border, with silk highlights catching the light at every angle. The result is a deep, formal Isfahan palette in the classical Persian register — the saturated red-and-blue combination favoured for representative interiors over centuries of Isfahan workshop practice.

Presence in the Room

At 178 × 111 cm (2.0 m²) this is a focused collector's format — a piece for considered placement and close looking. Three contexts in which the rug reaches its full effect:

• Library or study: Beside a writing desk or beneath a reading chair, the dark-red field adds depth without competing with bookshelves and panelling.
• Entrance hall or salon: As a hero piece beneath a console or in a small reception area, the Isfahan reads as a signature of the host.
• Bedroom or boudoir: At the foot of a bed or beside a dressing area, the silk highlights add a quiet glow at low light.

Specifications

Responsible Origin · Label STEP

Djoharian is a certified partner of Label STEP, the international fair-trade organisation for hand-knotted rugs. STEP audits production conditions on the ground — wages, working environment, no child labour — and tracks pieces from loom to dealer.

Djoharian — Since 1967

Our family business was founded in 1967, with roots in the Grand Carpet Bazaar of Tehran. Five decades of trade and connoisseurship inform every piece we offer — collected, vetted, and presented with the documentation a serious buyer expects.

Service

Secure and fast worldwide shipping, fully insured. Each piece is professionally packed and documented. We are available for any questions on placement, care, or comparable pieces.