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Many styles flow from the prolific city
of Tabriz, the eminent Naqsheh with its many lavish designs,
some on bases of pure silk, the classic Mahi or 'fish' design,
loved by designers for its subtlety, and many hundreds of
other patterns.
Tabriz rugs are among the most beautiful
and legendary Persian
carpets ever built. Tabriz is an ancient city in North
Western Iran and it is probably responsible for producing
the largest percentage of all Persian
rugs. There can be many different unique designs but
most of the time the pattern in a Tabriz
rug is filled with dense floral motifs, with large
palmettes, vases, foliage, and small flowers and garden
elements scattered with wild profusion. The quality is
exceptional in Tabriz made carpets. Many colors can be
seen, such as burgundy, red, ivory and different creams,
baby or navy blue, tan, or green. There can be rugs of
this type with a medallion or without one, and geometric
designs are also seen sometimes. Tabriz has sub-styles
as well. These include the world renowned elegant 'Mahi'
(fish/Herati) and the beautiful Tabatabaie designs. The
Mahi is probably one of the most elegant rug designs in
the world. It consists of very small intricate fish like
elements scattered neatly throughout the many borders
and medallions of the carpet. The colors are usually dark
and silk is often used in conjunction with the wool to
accentuate the highlights of the rug. The city of Tabriz
is eminent around the world because of its incredibly
rich history. Some fine Tabriz
carpets have been auctioned for well over a million
dollars. There is no questioning the absolute beauty and
elegance that a fine authentic Tabriz Persian rug will
to one's home.
History of Tabriz
Rugs
"Tabriz is probably the biggest handmade rug-producing
center in the world, and most definitely one of the very oldest.
Anybody who knows anything about Persian rugs will know something
about Tabriz rugs. The enchanted city of Tabriz fully developed
more than a thousand years ago. After the many invasions and
wars that the nation went through, Tabriz took the lost and
ancient ways of the past and created a monster of a rug exporting
industry to supply beautiful carpets to the whole world. One
of the finest eras of Persian rug weaving was the Saffavid
period, which started in 1502 when the Saffavids overthrew
the Turks who had captured Tabriz. They made the city into
an artful and poetic center of Persian culture. And of course
this meant producing fine rugs. Today, many rugs produced
in Tabriz are attempting to follow the incredible artistry,
which were the Persian Safavid rugs. Tabriz managed to keep
these ancient traditions alive, in spite of all the conquering
and political restructuring. Today when a big rug retailer
somewhere in the world wants a specific pattern woven by hand
on a rug, Tabriz is the city that he goes to. Tabriz is truly
a magnificent figure in Iranian history and in the handmade
carpet industry."
Construction of Tabriz Rugs
A Tabriz rug is an example of astounding and excellent skill
that one comes to expect from Persian craftsmanship. The makers
of these rugs take such pride in their product, that they
often weave their signature in a small part of the carpet's
border. These signatures are found on extremely fine rugs
made in other cities as well. The material used in these rugs,
are wool, silk, or a combination of the two. A beautiful blend
of wool and silk is the most common in fine Tabriz's and pure
wool is used in the medium quality ones. Often, in finer Tabriz
carpets, the foundation of the rug is pure silk as opposed
to cotton. Some carpets of Tabriz have 18 or 24 karat gold
threads for the foundation of the rug. 300 to well over 500
knots per square inch are not uncommon in fine rugs from Tabriz.
The only rugs that can be compared with a fine Tabriz are
Isfahans, Qums, and Nains. The Tabriz Persian rug is an absolutely
gorgeous piece of art on which no dollar value can be placed
and it is without a doubt, one of the most beautiful things
to ever be placed on a floor.
Click
here to shop for Tabriz Rugs
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