Balutch Tent Band

These carpets, contrary to the name, do not come from Baluchistan, which is on the border between southwest Persian, and Pakistan. They are hand knotted, in fact, in the eastern part of Khorassan and in a large area of western Afghanistan, along the Iranian border. Balutchis are almost exclusively nomad work and are woven, for the most part, by Balutch tribe. As with all nomadic carpets, Balutchis are made on ground looms. The warp is mainly wool though recently cotton has cone into use as well. With a few exceptions, the weft is a single thread. The pile is of good quality wool but is lacking in luster and is not very deep. Natural camel wool has also been used. The Persian knot has a density of between 60 to 100 knots per square inch. Balutchis are typically small, like prayer rugs.

The most common type of Balutchis is prayer rugs. Often the only common feature is the oriented form of the design. The differences lie in the multiplicity of motifs used, which differ greatly from carpet to carpet. The most frequently found design has a cupola on either side of the niche. In other Balutchis, the field of the niche contains a tree of life. Yet other examples have a more formal decoration, which is frequently reduced to a simple division of the ground into diamonds of different colours. Even Balutchis with a normal decoration use quite varied motifs – the typical ones used for carpets from this region as well as ones borrowed from elsewhere, such as the Bokhara gul or the floral mina khani. Balutch borders are usually composed of a succession of narrow bands, almost all of the same size. The border decoration is very simple and inspired by geometric designs, particularly the Greek key and diagonal wedges in alternating colours. Different colours are often used for each of the narrow bands but the wide one is always the same colour as the ground.

Balutchis can usually be recognized by a tendency to enclose motifs within a lattice, and by the use of strong white or yellow ochre outlines, particularly in the border. However different in design, Balutchis have one point in common – the colours. Red and dark blue predominate, both of them used for field, motifs and borders. Some Balutchis have a beige background – this is nearly always the result of the use of natural camel. Yellow and orange are also quite common in the border and motifs.

Balutch

These carpets, contrary to the name, do not come from Baluchistan, which is on the border between southwest Persian, and Pakistan. They are hand knotted, in fact, in the eastern part of Khorassan and in a large area of western Afghanistan, along the Iranian border. Balutchis are almost exclusively nomad work and are woven, for the most part, by Balutch tribe. As with all nomadic carpets, Balutchis are made on ground looms. The warp is mainly wool though recently cotton has cone into use as well. With a few exceptions, the weft is a single thread. The pile is of good quality wool but is lacking in luster and is not very deep. Natural camel wool has also been used. The Persian knot has a density of between 60 to 100 knots per square inch. Balutchis are typically small, like prayer rugs.

The most common type of Balutchis is prayer rugs. Often the only common feature is the oriented form of the design. The differences lie in the multiplicity of motifs used, which differ greatly from carpet to carpet. The most frequently found design has a cupola on either side of the niche. In other Balutchis, the field of the niche contains a tree of life. Yet other examples have a more formal decoration, which is frequently reduced to a simple division of the ground into diamonds of different colours. Even Balutchis with a normal decoration use quite varied motifs – the typical ones used for carpets from this region as well as ones borrowed from elsewhere, such as the Bokhara gul or the floral mina khani. Balutch borders are usually composed of a succession of narrow bands, almost all of the same size. The border decoration is very simple and inspired by geometric designs, particularly the Greek key and diagonal wedges in alternating colours. Different colours are often used for each of the narrow bands but the wide one is always the same colour as the ground.

Balutchis can usually be recognized by a tendency to enclose motifs within a lattice, and by the use of strong white or yellow ochre outlines, particularly in the border. However different in design, Balutchis have one point in common – the colours. Red and dark blue predominate, both of them used for field, motifs and borders. Some Balutchis have a beige background – this is nearly always the result of the use of natural camel. Yellow and orange are also quite common in the border and motifs.

Ardebil

Ardebils are hand knotted on a vertical loom with a warp and weft usually in cotton but sometimes in wool.  The quality of wool used for the pile of Ardebil carpets is rather thick.  The woolen pile is of medium depth and the weave is a Turkish knot with a density varying from 60 to 120 knots per square inch.  The most commonly found dimensions are approximately 4’6” x 7’0” and 5’0” x 7’6”.

The name Ardebil is associated with the magnificent sixteenth century specimens such as the one exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.  These were the first of the floral-type carpets made to the order of the Safavid court during the reign of Shah Tahmasp.  Recent Ardebils have nothing in common with these antique specimens.  They are carpets with geometric motifs clearly inspired by Caucasian designs.  The most popular compositions are based around central medallions, pole medallions and repeating octagonal forms.   The rest of the field is completely covered with very varied Caucasian motifs: rosettes, stars, animals and humans and geometric shapes.  The borders are usually elaborate and are often made up of a central band framed by a series of guards.  The guards are decorated with rosettes and octagonal stars as well as a series of other geometric shapes.  The field is usually ivory and the dyes used for the motifs are very vivid, with a lot of reds and pea greens.

Ardebils are very similar in both appearance and construction to carpets made by a number of other groups in the region – the name is sometimes used rather more collectively than it should – but items produced in the village can often be distinguished by their use of an ivory field with green or lime-ochre elements in the design.  Ardebils are produced in most sizes, and are often boldly attractive and reasonably hardwearing.

Sarough

Saroughs are hand knotted on a vertical loom using warp and weft in cotton.  The weft consists of two or sometimes three threads.  In carpets made before the 1915, the weft is pushed down hard against the knots, which made the carpets very compact.  The pile is of very good quality wool and is cut very short.  However, more recent pieces seem to have deeper piles.  The Persian knot is utilized with a density of 160 to 400 knots per square inch.

Saroughs may be divided into two categories: carpets with traditional designs and those intended for export, particularly to the United States.  The traditional designs consist, for the most part, of the central medallion pattern.  The pattern is similar to those used in Kashans, but the different interpretations by different craftsmen give the carpets a special imprint.  Although they have floral patterns, this is executed in an angular fashion, resulting in an incomparable fusion of floral and geometric styles.  As well as the central medallion, there is also, in old and antique Saroughs, frequent use of the boteh motif.

In contrast, the American Sarough (or Lilian) design features large blossoming floral sprays radiating outwards from a central, medallion-like, floral form.  It is so named because it was adapted for the American market from a design originating in the village of Lilian; the true Lilian design has a spidery central medallion which American Sarough do not.  American Saroughs use either rich rosy reds with blues and paler rose outlining the motifs, or, less frequently, bright pastel shades (usually pale blues, turquoise or lemon yellow), used to create the same strong contrasts between motifs and field as in American Kermans.

In all Saroughs the border is simple, almost always consisting of two guards framing a wider central band, which is often decorated with heratis while the former is often of traditional rosettes and wavy line collections.  The colour scheme is often a bright orange-red in the field, which is softened by ivory, dark blue, red-brown and dull green.  Various shades of turquoise are common in the decorative motifs.

Kelim Salt Bag Hand-Knotted Handmade Persian Rug

Kelims are woven carpets in which coloured wefts form the face of the finished weaving. This term also refers to the pile-less web sometimes found at either or both ends of a pile carpet. They are normally reversible with the exception of the Sumac kelim. Sometimes a kelim’s design will simply be a series of stripes running across the width of the rug. However, it’s also common for a kelim to have the same basic design elements as a pile carpet.

These smooth rugs are very versatile. Their colours and design suit modern furnishings, and they can be used not only on the floor but as bedspreads, on tables, armchairs and settees, and hanging on the wall. A kelim has even been found useful to cover up an incurable damp patch on a wall! They are hardwearing, and as their appearance is exactly the same on both sides, they can be turned over if the colours on one side have faded, to give wear on both sides. Because they are not as bulky as carpets with a pile, they can be stored, flat or rolled up, in very little space.

The main centres of production at the present time are in Persia and Turkey. Persian kelims come mainly from Shiraz, though today quite a number are coming from Waramin, and the finest still come, as they have always done, from Sine. The Shiraz and the Waramin tend to use simple, tribal geometric designs; the Waramin particularly look very Caucasian now, and many people take them for Kazaks. The Sine’s invariable have very fine designs, and for these beautiful rugs the rule that kelims are inexpensive no longer apply; for the finest pieces the prices have increased enormously.

The Turkish kelims come in two main sizes – 6’ x 4’, the majority of which are prayer designs, and large ones measuring between 12’-16’ long by 6’-8’ wide. The colours of the large Turkish kelims tend to be better than those of the small ones, especially in old examples; this may be because the large carpets got more use, which up to a point improves the appearance of any good carpet, while the small ones used to be kept for dowries and remained rolled up until a marriage could be arranged. These large carpets are generally made in two pieces on two fairly narrow looms, and then sewn together down the middle. The design usually consists of a series of diamond-shaped medallions.

Jaipur

Jaipur Rugs are handmade carpets made by a company of the same name. Headquartered in Jaipur (India), their operations are located in 10 states of India. They have a network of over 20 branches, as well as an independent weaver base of 40,000 artisans. They are one of the leading manufacturers of handmade carpets in India.

K. Chaudhary started the company in 1978 with just two looms and nine artisans. Over the years and under his leadership the company has evolved into one of the leaders of handmade rugs from India.

Jaipur rugs are very diverse in appearance. They range from very traditional, often mimicking Persian designs, to Ultra-Modern. This is diversity is one of the major reasons that Jaipur Rugs is an industry leader, as there is something for every décor. The quality also ranges from medium to very fine, and this is due to the large pool of artists knotting the carpets.

Azeri

Azerbaijan has for centuries been known as a center for a large variety of crafts.  Archeological artifacts discovered in the territory of Azerbaijan shows a well developed agriculture, stock raising, metal working, and ceramics histories. One of the oldest traditions of the area is carpet-weaving dating as far back as to the 2nd millennium BC.

Carpet making began in rural huts and over time became among the most essential arts. The carpets knotted became highly valued by influential figures. The talented weavers were immortalized by poets and documenters of history.

Carpet weaving has always been closely connected with daily life in the area. Its role reflected in the meaning of the designs and their applications. Right down to, people seated on carpets in order to tell fortunes as well as used while singing the traditional songs of Novruz, which are the regional New Year’s celebrations. The carpet is widely used in the home for decoration. Special carpets are woven for medical treatments, as well as wedding ceremonies, birthing rituals, mourning loved ones and of course prayer.

The Azerbaijani carpet is traditionally  handmade of various sizes. Typically they have a dense pile, but sometimes are pile-less. The patterns are very characteristic of Azerbaijan’s carpet-making. Carpet weaving is a family tradition very often transferred through stories and shown by example. Sheep are sheared in Spring and Autumn, while the collected wool is dyed in Spring, Summer and Fall. Construction of carpets is done during the winter months by the female family members, younger girls learning from their mothers and grandmothers. Carpets are constructed on either horizontal or vertical looms. Wools of many colors are incorporated, as well as cotton and/or silk colored with natural dyes. Using unique techniques to create pile carpets, weavers knot the pile yarn around the threads of the warp and weft. While pile-less carpets are variously made by weaving around the structural warps and wefts. When a carpet is finished  it’s cutting off the loom is usually a solemn celebration.

Borchalu

Borchalus are hand knotted, both the Turkish and Persian knot are used depending on the place of manufacture; they are made with medium-quality wool, and the pile is high.  Like almost all carpets from the Hamadan area, these carpets are single-wefted. The warps and wefts are of unbleached cotton. Wefts may be dyed blue. Borchalus are becoming harder and harder to find. They are mainly small to medium sized rugs up to 1.50 x 2.50 M (5 ft. x 7 ft. 3 in.), also smaller numbers of room carpets, occasionally as large as 3 x 4 m (10 ft. x 13 ft.) as well as in the long, narrow kellegi size that’s usually two or three times longer than it is wide.

The carpets of Borchalu arrive on the market via the Hamadan bazaars from the area between Hamadan and Arak. Borchalus are one of the finer knotted types of carpet from the Hamadan region.  The designs are heavily geared towards Western taste; central medallions with manifold blossom and other floral motifs, also sometimes drawn as vase carpets, dominate their image. The field is in red or white; the designs in red, blue, gold and green.

 

 

22 Year History of Babak’s Oriental Carpets!

Babak opened his first location on September 07, 2016. Happy 22 Years!

Dr. Huschang Rezwani (Babak’s Father) has successfully built an honorable reputation in the carpet business over the past 35 years in Graz, Austria. He is delighted to offer his knowledge and experience in this specialty business, and is proud to provide an exclusive selection of Persian and Oriental carpets to the homes and businesses of Victoria and Vancouver.

Babak Rezwani, son of Dr. Rezwani, is the store owner and operator of the Victoria showroom located at 919 Fort Street. Babak has been around the carpet business his entire life, and therefore, he has a vast knowledge of most carpets from around the world. He specializes in carpets from Persia. Babak is dedicated to the study of oriental carpets and he is always pleased to share his knowledge for those interested in the historical significance, hand-knotting techniques, investment value and overall quality of Persian and Oriental carpets.

Video on the history of the buisness: Here

Kerman

Kerman carpets (sometimes “Kirman”) are one of the traditional classifications of Persian carpets. They are named after the city of Kerman, which is both a city and a province located in south central Iran, though as with other such designations the term describes a type which may have been manufactured somewhere else. Kerman has been a major center for the production of high quality carpets since at least the 15th century. In the 18th century, some authors considered the carpets from the province of Kerman, especially at Siftan, to be the finest Persian carpets,  partly because of the high quality of the wool from the region  known as Carmania wool.

Kerman carpets are often constructed using the “Vase technique” characterised by three shoots of weft between rows of knots. The first and third are typically woolen and at high tension, while the second one, at low tension, is normally made of silk or cotton. Warps are markedly displaced and the Persian knot is open to the left. This technique distinguishes Kerman carpets from both the Safavid (1501-1722) and subsequent (1722-1834) periods.” Most Persian carpets, in contrast, used the “Turkish knot”. Kerman carpets of the 18th century and later very often use “lattice” patterns, with the central field divided by a lattice design giving many small compartments. The dye process for Kerman carpets occurred while the wool was still in flock and before spinning, allowing for uniform color. The palette for Kerman carpets is as brilliant as it is varied. Tones can range from ivory, blue and magenta to a more golden and saffron cast

The design pattern of Kerman carpets are also a distinct feature. Vase carpets, a type of Kerman rug distinctive of the 16th and 17th centuries, are characterized by an allover pattern of stylized flowers and oversized palmettes with vases placed throughout the field.

Another rare and distinct variation of Kerman carpets is the Lavar or Ravar Kerman. Although Lavar is the improper name, some are still labeled as such. These carpets were produced in Ravar village next to Kerman city in the northern region, and are known particularly for their fine weave and elegant, classically derived design of allover and central medallion formats.

Kerman rugs and carpets were woven in all sizes, some extending out to 10 feet. Typical manufacturing used an asymmetrical knot on cotton foundation, but rare examples include silk or part silk piles, or silk foundations with wool pile.

Kerman carpets include a signature, either that of the weaver or to whom the carpet was woven for.