Mat and basket weaving (Hasir-bafi)

Definition

The weaving of mats, baskets, fans and containers from date-palm leaves, reeds and rushes, practised especially in southern and northern Iran.

History

Mat and basket weaving is one of the oldest household crafts on the Iranian plateau and the Persian Gulf coast. Palm-leaf work is usually linked to the south (for example Bushehr, Hormozgan and Khuzestan), while reed and rush work is associated with the Caspian provinces.

Dates and attributions here summarise common positions in the literature and are under editorial review; they are not definitive.

Technique

Leaves are dried, split into strips, sometimes dyed, and then plaited into long braids that are stitched together in coils, or woven over and under on a simple frame. Rush mats are often woven on a horizontal ground loom.

Collecting and identification

Look for tight, even plaits and a firm shape; loose work unravels at the rim. Many cheaper imports are machine-made from plastic strips — check the material closely.

This guidance is educational only and is not an authentication or valuation service.

Photographs

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Gallery

Images are representative examples, not evidence for the sample marketplace records. Their sources and permission status are listed in the photography credits.

Marketplace

No objects of this craft are currently listed.

Related knowledge

Sources & references

• Book: Wulff, H. E. The Traditional Crafts of Persia. MIT Press, 1966.
• Institution: Encyclopaedia Iranica, relevant entries (online edition, accessed 2026-09-24).

Where origins, dates or symbolism are contested, this entry states the competing readings rather than choosing between them. Editorial analysis is not presented as documented fact.