Provenance and the Qum Silk Tradition

Qum (also Qom, Ghom) is among the youngest of the great Persian weaving centres — its workshops emerged in the 20th century — and yet within a few decades they established themselves as the international benchmark for fine silk knotting. What is woven in Qum in pure silk is, internationally, the reference standard for the genre. This piece was hand-knotted there in the 1950s–60s, in the most demanding construction the genre offers.

It has lived almost its entire life as a wall hanging — a use Qum silks have been put to since the early 20th century — and is, in practical terms, as new: no wear, no traffic, the colours unfaded, and even the delicate silk kilim finish at the lower end fully intact. A collector's piece in exceptional condition.

The Silk-on-Silk Distinction

Two markers identify a top-class Qum: the silk foundation, where warp and weft are themselves silk rather than the more common silk-on-cotton construction, and the knot density that only a fully silken foundation permits. This piece is built that way — silk pile on silk warp and weft, hand-knotted at an estimated 640,000 knots per m². At that density the small flower fills, the leaf veins and the curling tendrils within the medallion become possible — detail no coarser construction can render. The pile is approximately 5 mm, low and tightly clipped in the Qum manner.

Colour and Composition

The composition is the classical Qum: a stepped star medallion with a floral rosette at its heart, set on a luminous ivory-cream field densely worked with curling vines, small palmettes and floral fills. Sky-blue / turquoise-green corner spandrels frame the field. The main border runs in olive-gold and camel with floral palmettes and connecting vines, flanked by light-blue / turquoise guard borders. The palette is the classical Qum vocabulary, beautifully balanced: ivory and cream, sky blue and turquoise-green, olive-gold and camel, with coral-rose and navy accents. As with all pure silk, the surface shifts with the light — sometimes warm and saturated, sometimes cool and shimmering.

Presence in the Room

At 178 × 108 cm (1.9 m²) this is a small format made to be seen closely. Three contexts in which a Qum silk reaches its full effect:

• Wall hanging: Its fineness and luminous quality make it work beautifully as a textile artwork on the wall — the use to which this very piece has been put, which is why it survives in such pristine condition.
• Bedroom or library: A contemplative accent beside the bed or under a reading chair — silk shows best in quiet, considered rooms.
• Entrance or gallery: A first impression that signals quality without monopolising the architecture.

Specifications

1stDibs Recognised Dealer

Djoharian carries the Recognised Dealer badge on 1stDibs since 2013, with a verified 5.0/5 rating across 18 reviews — a standard of authentication and presentation that serious collectors and design professionals can rely on. Every piece of this calibre is offered with a certificate of authenticity.

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 behind every piece we offer, collected, vetted and presented with the documentation a serious buyer expects.

Service

Every piece is expertly inspected in our atelier in Lohr am Main, professionally washed and shipped with a certificate of authenticity. Secure and fast worldwide shipping, fully insured, with personal consultation in our showroom or by video call.