Lahijan II · Town setting only, not evidence of local manufacture or current visitor access.
Kazemiarman90 · CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons; resized/re-encoded JPEG)
2014-06-25 16:45:01 · Source metadata and photograph visually checked 24 October 2026; no visible watermark.
Photograph source · Wikimedia CommonsA field observation record
- 01
Observe
Record material, structure, joins and wear before interpreting a pattern or city label.
- 02
Document
With permission, photograph the whole object, reverse, edges and any maker mark; retain repairs in the frame.
- 03
Separate claims
Keep maker, production location, point of sale and proposed age as separate statements, with their evidence.
Setting
Lahijan sits among terraced tea plantations on the foothills south-east of Rasht, beside a lake.
Why this place matters for craft
Silk production in Gilan is long recorded, and Lahijan appears in accounts of the sericulture economy; tea, introduced in the early twentieth century, later dominated. Craft output today is small-scale: wood, basketry and textiles.
Tea country and woven matting
Lahijan in Gilan is famous for tea gardens, and the surrounding humid lowlands support crafts using rush, reed and rice straw. Mats and baskets are practical household goods first.
The craft record for basketry in this archive still lacks a screened photograph; this page does not show one rather than borrow an unrelated image.
Plant-fibre materials
Ask which plant is used and how it was dried. Rush, reed and straw behave differently: straw is lighter and more brittle, rush is softer and flexible. Plastic strapping is sometimes woven in similar patterns.
Look at ends and edges: hand weaving usually turns and tucks fibres; mass-produced items may be stapled or glued.
Humidity and care
Plant fibres can mould in damp storage and become brittle in dry heat. Keep them ventilated and away from radiators.
Clean with a dry brush; do not soak.
Objects, evidence and attribution limits
| Object or claim | What to examine | What it cannot prove |
|---|---|---|
| Rush mat | Plant type, edge finish, flexibility | Plant identification needs close inspection. |
| Straw basket | Tucked ends, binding and base | Imported baskets may look similar. |
| Plastic look-alike | Uniform sheen and melted ends | Mixed-material items exist. |
Common questions
- Is Lahijan a carpet centre?
- Not principally. Its crafts relate more to tea culture and plant-fibre household goods.
- How do I store a woven mat?
- Flat or loosely rolled in a dry, ventilated place.
Sources and further reading
- Encyclopaedia Iranica
Scholarly reference for regional history and craft terminology; not a guide to current workshops.
Editorial draft, not independently checked by a named craft specialist. References provide context, not authentication or confirmation of current visitor access.
Quarters, bazaars and workshops
| Area | What is there |
|---|---|
| Town centre and lakeside | Tea retail with some craft stalls; silk items are mostly imported now. |
What to look for on an object
- Silk cloth — Cool handle, uneven natural lustre, and fine irregularities in the yarn; polyester is slippery and perfectly even.
These notes are for learning to look, not for authentication. No description here certifies an object, its age or its origin.
Practical notes
- Combine with Rasht; tea factory visits are the usual draw.
- Workshop addresses, bazaar hours and market days change; confirm locally before travelling.
Season: Late spring to early autumn.
Used in these crafts
A silk weaving technique producing a cut or voided pile on a foundation weave, used in Iran for garments, cushion covers and furnishing panels, with figured Safavid velvets among the most studied survivals.
A figured silk weaving technique in which supplementary wefts, often including gold- or silver-wrapped thread, create pictorial or floral designs on a silk ground.
A northern Iranian needlework tradition associated with Rasht in Gilan, combining wool felt or broadcloth appliqué with chain-stitch embroidery for covers, hangings and saddle cloths.
A relief wood-carving technique in which solid panels, furniture and architectural elements are carved directly with chisels to produce raised or recessed floral, arabesque and geometric ornament, distinct from inlay techniques that build a surface from separate pieces.