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The beautiful city of Isfahan produces elegant
pieces with flowing vines, sword flowers, and magnificent
borders.
Frequently woven in silk and wool, many
are done on foundations of pure silk with wonderful fringes.
Among the finest handmade carpets in the
world, if not the finest, Isfahan
rugs are the real deal; the 'creme de la creme.' They
are notorious world over for their delicacy and utmost
beauty. The rugs that are woven inside the city of Isfahan
are very respected in the Persian rug industry because
of their rich ancient history and honorable reputation
dating back to the 16th century. Most Isfahan rugs are
a favorite of many, and command higher retail prices due
to their extraordinary quality and elegant symmetry. There
exists in the world today, many Isfahan rugs that cost
several hundreds of thousands of dollars.
History of Isfahan Rugs
Isfahan experienced its 'Golden Age' in
the seventeenth century when Shah Abbas, who was the king
of Iran at that time, declared it the nation's capital.
The finest carpets in the world were produced here during
this exalted period. It is safe to say that Isfahan still
produces the world's finest rug. The ancient Persian kings
always had these rugs placed throughout their palaces;
on the floors, and sometimes placed on the walls like
priceless paintings. Isfahan itself is a very historic
city, and it is responsible for a great portion of the
reputation that the Persian
rug name has today.
Construction of Isfahan Rugs
There can be many combinations in the materials used for
Isfahans. These are: wool on cotton, wool and silk blend on
cotton, wool and silk blend on silk, or silk on silk. The
most common is a superb blend of wool and silk used for the
pile, woven on a foundation of pure silk. Unlike the intuitive
execution of tribal weavers who weave rugs on remembered motifs
and learned ornamentation, the complex colors, shapes and
'Arabesque' swirls of the Isfahan are first carefully drawn
on large sheets of paper in the form of a template by a master
designer. The template then serves as a guide for the weavers
to ensure accuracy and quality control throughout the long
weaving process, which can be several years. There are literally
hundreds of commercially operated vertical looms at work in
Isfahan at all times to meet demand. An authentic fine Isfahan
rug is absolutely priceless and without exaggeration, the
most gorgeous thing that can be placed on any floor.
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here to shop for Isfahan Rugs
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