Process, step by step
- Warp the loom to the planned density and width.
- Weave a flatwoven starting band to lock the ends.
- Tie each knot row — symmetric or asymmetric — following the design.
- Insert wefts and beat the row down with the comb.
- Trim the pile progressively to an even height.
- Finish the far end, cut the piece down and wash it.
Variations
Asymmetric (Persian) knotting allows finer curvilinear drawing; symmetric knotting is more usual in tribal and village work.
Conservation
Rotate to even out wear, avoid folding along a single line, and secure selvedges before they unravel.
Used in these crafts
Persian carpet
A hand-knotted pile textile woven across Iran in city workshops, village looms and pastoral camps, distinguished by regional structure, palette and design vocabulary.
Tabriz carpet
The workshop carpet tradition of Tabriz in East Azerbaijan, characterised by drawn cartoons, a distinctive hook-knife weaving method and a wide range of fineness grades.
Gabbeh
A thick, coarsely knotted pile rug woven mainly by pastoral and village weavers of the Zagros, with open fields, few motifs and a directly personal design language.