Provenance and Manufactory Heritage

This palatial Manchester Kashan is one of the most refined antique carpets the Persian tradition has to offer. Hand-knotted in the great workshops of Kashan in central Iran around 1910 (approximately 1900–1920), at 470 × 300 cm it carries the unmistakable silken sheen, the dense floral drawing and the deep saturated palette that made Manchester Kashans the most prized Persian carpets of the early twentieth century. A documented collector's piece from what is widely considered the golden age of Kashan weaving.

In the late nineteenth century, the workshops of Kashan began importing prime Australian merino wool processed in the spinning mills of Manchester, England — at the time the finest and most consistent wool available anywhere in the world. The fibres were longer, finer and remarkably lustrous, and they took natural dyes with a brilliance that local wool could not match. The resulting carpets are known to the trade simply as Manchester Kashans, and they remain the benchmark for what a fine antique Kashan can be.

This piece is hand-knotted at approximately 250,000–360,000 knots per m², set on a cotton warp and weft, with a pile of around 7–9 mm. The drawing of the small flowers, leaf veins and slender curling tendrils is only possible at this density — and the Manchester wool gives every line the soft sheen that lifts it from the ground.

Colour and Composition

The palette is the classic Manchester Kashan vocabulary, beautifully developed. A warm coral-to-brick madder red carries the inner field — the signature Kashan red, aged into a soft, luminous salmon-rose patina. A deep indigo-blue main border frames the composition, with royal-blue and powder-blue accents in the leaves and rosettes, honey and golden yellow in the stems and tendrils, caramel browns in the main vines, and fine ivory guard lines separating the border bands. The combination of saturated madder, deep indigo and the unmistakable lustre of the wool is the single clearest indicator of a Manchester-grade Kashan.

The composition is a classic Kashan allover floral field — no central medallion, but a balanced, rhythmic pattern of rising, branching flower sprays that reads almost as a stylised garden. Small palmettes, rosettes and dense clusters of blossoms fill every interstice; the deep indigo main border carries large floral palmettes and curling vines, framed by narrower guard borders with running floral repeats. Despite the density of the drawing, the composition reads as calm and balanced — the mark of a master weaver.

An Antique Manchester Kashan as an Investment

Genuine Manchester Kashans of the 1900–1920 period — woven from the long-staple, high-lustre Manchester merino that is no longer produced — are a finite and appreciating category at the very top of the antique Persian market. A documented palatial example of this provenance and quality is both a furnishing and a tangible collector's asset and store of value, sold with a certificate of authenticity and full provenance documentation — an acquisition that can be enjoyed underfoot while it holds its standing in the international market.

Presence in the Room

At 470 × 300 cm (14.1 m²) this is a palatial-format carpet for substantial rooms. Three contexts in which the Manchester Kashan reaches its full effect:

• Formal dining room: Under a long table seating ten to fourteen, the rising floral sprays read as a measured architectural pattern from above — the warm red ground giving the room immediate gravitas.
• Stately living room or reception: Anchoring a full sofa group with armchairs and side tables, the saturated palette and the fine drawing reward close looking from any seat in the room.
• Modern counterpoint: The very saturation of an antique Manchester Kashan becomes a focal point against minimal walls and contemporary lines — historical depth as a deliberate design statement.

Specifications

Responsible Sourcing

Djoharian is a Label STEP certified dealer for fair-trade knotted rugs — a commitment to dignified working conditions and against child labour in rug production. Visit the Label STEP entry for Djoharian Teppiche →

Trust and Provenance

With roots in the Grand Carpet Bazaar of Tehran and more than five decades of experience in the international rug trade, Djoharian has specialised in antique, designer and collector rugs since 1967. As a 1stDibs Recognized Dealer since 2013 with verified seller status and a 5.0/5 rating across 18 reviews, our pieces have been placed in private collections and stately interiors across Europe and North America. In 2021, a rug from our collection was featured in the film Spencer (Pablo Larraín, with Kristen Stewart as Diana, Princess of Wales).

Service and Acquisition

Every piece in the Djoharian Collection is expertly inspected in our atelier in Lohr am Main, professionally washed and shipped with a certificate of authenticity and full provenance documentation. We offer secure and fast worldwide shipping, fully insured. Viewing in our Lohr am Main showroom is welcome by appointment — for a piece of this calibre and rarity, we recommend it.

Djoharian — Antique and Bespoke Oriental Rugs since 1967.