Kerman carpet

Kerman carpets (sometimes "Kirman") are one of the traditional classifications of Persian carpets. They are named after 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 of all Persian carpets, partly because of the high quality of the wool from the region, known as Carmania wool.

In the world of antique Persian rugs, Kerman carpets are celebrated as being among the best. Kerman rugs are prized by collectors for many reasons, including a wide range of designs, a broad palette, use of natural dyes and fibers, great tensile strength and abrasion resistance, and expert color combinations. No two Kerman rugs are precisely alike, but these general characteristics typify this enduringly popular style.

Damask Rose is the most popular motif in Kerman rug designs, particularly in "Sabzikar Ravar" and "Gol Sorkhi" (Red Rose) rugs. Other well-known motifs are "Ghab Ghora'ani", "Setooni", "Ghabi", "Kheshti", "Saraam Atiyeh", "Jangali", "Shekargah" and "Lachak-Toranj".

Recent Kerman products prepared for western markets are woven in gentle and light colors like amber, pink, milky and blue-gray.

In response to market demands, modern Kerman rugs also use western motifs, such as stripes, various repetitive motifs, vase, symmetric, and also garden themes, animal shapes, and pictorial rugs. Kerman antique carpets also use the Toranj motif border which consists of margins and narrow lines.

In the 19th century, the city of Kerman had a reputation for its carpets, attributed to a very long history of urban workshops, the supply of a very fine wool, the presence of master weavers and the artistic superiority of local designs. After Nader Shah, Naser al-Din Shah commissioned carpets from Kerman. Kerman carpet producers of the 19th century include Costigian, Ghastili, Dilmaghani and Tafshanchian. Dilmaghani is still in operation and considered an important connection of 19th and 20th century production of carpets in Kerman. May Beattie has defined seven classes of Kerman carpets and identified a unique structure she called 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. A notable illustration is a carpet having belonged to William Morris, now on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Later all sorts of designs were made in Kerman, including large figurative ones. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a carpet of 1909 with a design copying a painting by the 18th century French artist Antoine Watteau. The dye process for Kerman carpets took place 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.

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Wikipedia