Knotted-pile carpet on the loom, Mahan · photo 2007 · Carpet weaving in progress · Iran
Fulvio Spada from Torino, Italy · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons record
One catalogued Iranian example whose museum title or technique line names this process; not a defining specimen.
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.
Structure of a pile rug
A knotted-pile rug has a foundation of warps (tār, chelleh) running lengthwise and wefts (pud) passing across. The weaver wraps short lengths of yarn around warp pairs, cuts them to form the pile, and beats wefts down after each row. Density is usually expressed in knots per unit area, or in Iran by raj (knots per about 7 cm). Fineness reflects time and skill but not, on its own, quality of design, dye or condition.
Asymmetric and symmetric knots
Two main knots are used in Iran. The asymmetric (Persian, senneh) knot wraps one warp and passes under the next, open to the left or right; the symmetric (Turkish, ghiordes or turki-baf) knot encircles both warps. Both are woven inside Iran: Tabriz and many Azerbaijani, Kurdish and Turkic weavings commonly use the symmetric knot. Knot type is a structural observation, not proof of nationality.
Looms and workshop organisation
Nomadic weavers often use horizontal ground looms that can be dismantled; village and town workshops use vertical looms, including roller looms for long pieces. Town production may follow a full-size cartoon (naqsheh) and a reader calling colours, while village and tribal weavers often work from memory or a small sample. These differences affect the regularity of drawing but are not rules that every rug obeys.
Reading the back
The back shows knot count, weft passes between rows, warp depression and any repairs or reweaves. Machine-made rugs show perfectly regular rows, fringes sewn on rather than formed by warps, and often a printed or tufted backing. Hand-knotting is necessary but not sufficient for this archive: provenance also has to establish Iranian production rather than a Persian-design rug woven elsewhere.
Practical questions
- Does a symmetric knot mean a rug is Turkish? No; it is widely used in Iran.
- Is a higher raj always better? No; design, dye and condition matter too.
| Observation | Useful description | Not established |
|---|---|---|
| Fringe formed by warps | Hand-knotted structure | Iranian origin |
| Symmetric knot | Knot structure | Country of weaving |
| Very high knot count | Fine weave | Age or value |
References and further reading
- [1] H. E. Wulff, The Traditional Crafts of Persia, MIT Press, 1966.Historical process context; not evidence for an individual object.
- [2] Canadian Conservation Institute — Caring for cultural objects ↗General preventive care; treatment requires assessment of the actual object.
These sources provide context, not authentication or provenance for an individual object. Editorial interpretations remain under review.
Documented material and craft examples
Representative photographs only. Marketplace examples rely on seller descriptions; CraftPersia has not independently authenticated their maker, origin, or rights status. Follow each source link for the listing context.
Used in these crafts
A hand-knotted pile textile woven across Iran in city workshops, village looms and pastoral camps, distinguished by regional structure, palette and design vocabulary.
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.
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.
Hand-knotted city carpets from Kashan, often in wool or silk, known for medallion designs and deep reds and blues.
Very finely knotted city carpets from Nain, recognisable by ivory and blue palettes with silk highlights.
Durable, geometric village carpets from the Heris area of East Azerbaijan, with large angular medallions.
Village and tribal carpets from the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari region, best known for the garden (khesti) design of repeated panels.