Kashan Rugs, Antique Persian Kashan Rugs

Kashan belongs to Isfahan Province located in central Iran and south of the city of Qum. It has become world-famous for its beautiful ancient monuments, rugs, and rose water, attracting many tourists from other parts of Iran and neighboring countries, and the arrival of tourists in the region benefits its economy. The Rose Water Festival, held every year from early May through early June, draws many tourists daily. In early May the scent of roses spreads over the area, notably Qamsar and Joshgan. Fin Garden, the National Museum of Kashan, the village of Abyaneh, and the Agha Bozorg Mosque are among Kashan’s most visited tourist attractions.

Kashan rugs feature intricate floral, curvilinear designs in the Shah Abbas style with elaborately stylized palmettes and lotuses in complex arrangements around a central medallion, often a diamond or pointed ovoid that may be slightly indented or lobed with floral pendants. The spandrel (or corner area) designs inside the rug borders often repeat the floral design of the medallion. Softer, pastel red and brown floral patterns on a navy blue field are common. Kashan rugs are among the most beautiful and valuable rugs in Iran, whose high wool quality, outstanding designs, and prime vegetable dye have made them famous.
An Antique Persian Kashan-Kurk available at Beautiful Rugs (474) features a rich red field with a central diamond whose floral pendants merge into the very intricate and dense floral pattern around it. Floral pendants are believed to have been borrowed from the Safavid book cover designs. The Shah Abbasi motif, a stylized and symmetrical palmette (a lotus flower with spread leaves), is the most prominent repeated floral motif in this rug.

A Brief Introduction to Kashan Rugs
There aren’t many carpet-producing regions in the world that can compete with the beauty and strength of carpets that used to come out of Kashan. Traditional Kashan rugs have a spotless reputation for their incredible quality and the finest craftsmanship. The Ardebil rug, which is housed in London at the Victoria and Albert Museum, is perhaps the most famous of all Persian rugs. It is said to be a Kashan rug. During the heydays of the Persian empire, Kashan, one of the oldest cities in the country, was held in high regard as one of the most important trading posts along the Silk Route. But while it has lost its importance in trading, it is still known for the manufacture of carpets. In fact, today, Kashan is home to most of Iran’s mechanized carpet-weaving factories.
The reign of Shah Abbas, a famous patron of the arts, is known as the Golden Age of Persian Weaving. Kashan rugs are a fine example of the refined antique city carpets that were made during this time, that is between the 16th and 17th centuries. By the 18th century, carpet production had gone down considerably, but towards the end of the 19th century, Kashan again saw the reintroduction of weaving by merchants and artisans who were hoping to mirror the phenomenal success of the Tabriz rugs. By the beginning of the 20th century, the weavers had become skillful in creating the curvilinear patterns that are typically associated with Kashan rugs.
The sources of most of the distinct Persian rug designs and patterns that people are familiar with can be traced back to Kashan. “The Royal Garden,” which served as the source for a significant garden motif, has been beautifully preserved since the 16th century.
Buy Kashan Rugs at Beautiful Rugs
The vast majority of vintage Kashan rugs are from the latter half of the 19th century to the early years of the 20th century. During this period, rich homeowners commissioned stunning Kashan rugs for their residences, while others were made for the domestic and international markets. The best Kashan rugs are knotted from the finest quality wool using a cotton foundation. Silk isn’t used very often. Older carpets were colored using vegetable dye, while those from the last few decades use modern chrome dyes.
The Mohtasham Kashan is the rarest type of Kashan rug that uses unique and non-traditional patterns, motifs, and color palettes. This superior style utilizes a premium variety of shiny lamb’s wool that gives the surface a beautiful luminous quality. It either features a teardrop medallion or an extraordinarily intricate all-over floral and leaf pattern. Collectors and rug enthusiasts highly prize Antique Mohtasham Kashan carpets from the mid-19th century.
At Beautiful Rugs, we offer an extensive selection of Kashan rugs that are available at discounted prices. Whether you are looking for floor coverings or wall hangings, we have them all and more. Shop now.

Read more