Namad felt rugs: buying and caring for Iranian felt

Made by hand

Felters lay out coloured wool for the design, then the base wool, and roll, wet and press it for hours. The design is integral to the felt, not stitched on.

Checking quality

• Even thickness and firm, dense felt
• Design wool fused in, not loose at edges
• No strong chemical smell
• Ask the town: Kerman, Mashhad, Isfahan and Torkaman Sahra are known

Care

Vacuum gently on low suction, rotate regularly and protect from moths. Do not wet-wash at home.

A note on this guide

This is a general introduction written by the CraftPersia editorial team and has not yet been reviewed by a specialist. Workshop practice varies between towns and families; treat dates and figures as approximate and confirm details with makers, museums or published scholarship before relying on them.