Tribal rugs woven by the Baluch people, settled along the border of northeastern Iran and Afghanistan and selling their work in the bazaar of Mashhad. The designs blend Turkish, Persian, and Caucasian influences, closest to Turkmen weaving: repeating guls, boteh, tree-of-life motifs, and prayer designs, mostly on dark navy, red, or brown fields with ivory and dark-purple accents, though newer pieces run lighter. The thin pile is wool, usually on a wool foundation. Migrating weavers cannot set up large looms, so rugs are small, typically 4 x 6 ft (1.2 x 1.8 m), 5 x 7 ft (1.5 x 2.1 m) or smaller, plus short runners.
Weakening of a rug's pile and foundation caused by prolonged exposure to high humidity or damp conditions. Moisture working into the natural fibers leaves them frail and can eventually make them decay, and the same dampness attracts moths and other pests. Damp, hot or poorly ventilated storage, bathrooms and humid climates are the usual settings; a dehumidifier, good airflow and an occasional airing in the sun are the remedies. Humidity swings also make a wool foundation stretch and shrink and distort the rug, whereas a cotton foundation holds its size better.
Tribal rugs woven by the Qashqai, a nomadic tribe of southwestern Iran that unites Turkic, Arab, Kurdish and Lur groups and has lived in the region since at least the 16th century. Designs come from memory rather than written plans, pairing geometric and medallion layouts with animals, plants and household objects in jewel-tone reds, gold and indigo, often on deep red or dark navy grounds. The wool pile is durable yet soft and sits on a cotton or wool foundation, and because the looms are compact enough to move with the tribe, sizes stay small, typically 4 x 6 ft (1.2 x 1.8 m) or 5 x 7 ft (1.5 x 2.1 m) plus runners.
The degree to which a hand-knotted rug holds true, parallel edges and a width that stays nearly the same at the top, middle and bottom. It is never machine-perfect, because wooden looms, and wool foundations more than cotton ones, expand and contract over time, so village and tribal weavings are the ones most often crooked. A difference of an inch or two (2.5 to 5 cm) is acceptable; major differences count as a flaw that lowers quality and value. It is checked by eye from a distance, against the lines of a hard floor, or by measuring the top, middle and bottom with a tape.
A rug base in which the warp and weft threads are wool instead of cotton. It is typical of tribal rugs such as Baluchi, Turkoman and Gabbeh (some use goat hair instead), turns up in some Qashqai, Shiraz and small Bakhtiari pieces, and is common in older village and tribal rugs; experts treat cotton as the norm for rugs made after about the 1930s, once machine-spun cotton became widely available. Wool's soft, less rigid structure gives the design a fluid, warm character, and the fringes are sometimes braided or in different colors. The drawback is that wool shrinks and stretches with humidity, so these rugs tend to be less straight than cotton-based ones.
Fine Persian carpets from the city of Yazd in central Iran, known for their intricate medallion designs and high-quality craftsmanship. Traditional Yazd carpets feature a central medallion with elaborate floral motifs, often incorporating silk highlights on a wool foundation. The color palette typically includes rich blues, reds, and ivories with distinctive curvilinear patterns influenced by the historic textile traditions of this ancient city.
Tribal rugs from the Zagros mountains of western and southwestern Iran, woven by nomadic, semi-nomadic and settled village weavers such as the Bakhtiari, Qashqai and Luri. The weavers usually use wool from their own flocks, giving a sturdy, often dense pile on a cotton or wool foundation, colored with natural dyes in bold, rich tones. Their designs, from geometric medallions to the Bakhtiari garden-panel layout, are woven from memory and passed down through generations. Bakhtiari weaving spread across more than 200 villages after the once-nomadic tribe settled, while Qashqai nomads work on small portable looms, so their rugs seldom come in large sizes.