Persian Kashan – 13’5″ x 8’10”

Kashan is a town on the fringes of the central desert which has long managed to preserve its traditional appearance created by the striking domed houses. It enjoyed an excellent reputation in the Safavid period for the variety and quality of its woven textiles, but like other centres such as Isfahan and Kerman, its carpet industry did not revive until the late nineteenth century. Initially, Australian merino wool was used, and this practice continued until the 1930s.
There are no carpet weaving workshops in the town, as the industry relies for its products on home-based looms. These are distributed among households in both Kashan town and the surrounding villages. Knotted pile carpets only are woven, catering to both the home and export market and of the finest quality. A rich strong range of colours is used in which red, shades of green, blue, black, and white dominate.
The designs are elegant and fluid, often based on elaborate medallions reserved on a red or blue field, which may be plain or filled with arabesque foliage motifs. The Kashan weavers also produce highly accomplished and sophisticated versions of Persian pictorial themes.