Provenance and Heritage

The Mohajeran is regarded by the trade as the highest-quality class within the Sarouk tradition — the finest workshop output of the Arak region in central Iran. This piece dates to around 1920 and is now over a century old, a genuine collector's piece from a recognised chapter of Persian rug history.

It is hand-knotted in heavily hand-spun wool on a cotton foundation. A century of careful use has settled the wool into a soft, lustrous patina without diminishing the density that keeps the piece structurally sound today.

The American Sarouk Story

Around 1900–1930, the workshops of the Arak region wove in parallel for two markets: the Persian domestic and court trade, and the booming American market. For American interiors, importers favoured a dense floral drawing on a characteristic deep rust-red ground — a palette so closely identified with the era that these pieces became known simply as “American Sarouks.” This rug belongs to that lineage: the disciplined Mohajeran bouquet repertoire over the deep red field that defined a generation of Western interior taste, and which collectors still seek out today.

Colour and Composition

On a deep rust-red ground, the field carries a dense, disciplined all-over of separate floral bouquets — stylised blossom sprays, palmettes and curved leafy branches — scattered with the rhythmic regularity that distinguishes a true Mohajeran. The drawing is rendered chiefly in deep navy and royal blue, with ivory, light blue, camel-gold and touches of green. The field is framed by a navy main border of interlocking palmette-and-vine scrolls with ivory cartouches, flanked by several guard stripes. The deep red ground is the signature of the period — the iconic palette of pre-1940 Sarouk.

Presence in the Room

At 265 × 350 cm (9.3 m²) this is a full room-size piece. Three contexts in which it reaches its full effect:

• Living room anchor: Beneath a full seating group, the deep red ground carries dark wood, leather and brass — ideal for traditional, library or Old-World interiors.
• Dining room: Under a large table with chairs pulled back, the dense floral field reads clearly and the heavy wool wears beautifully.
• Open-plan space: Large enough to organise a substantial room, with a century of proven durability behind it.

Specifications

1stDibs Recognised Dealer

Djoharian carries the Recognised Dealer badge on 1stDibs since 2013, with a 5.0/5 verified rating — a standard of authentication and presentation that serious collectors and design professionals can rely on.

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 collector 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.