6' X 9' Light Blue Authentic Persian Kerman Circa 1920's

Circa 1920's Vintage Kerman Rug.
Condition: in Good condition, some low pile area please see photos.

Brief history of Kerman rugs

Kerman rugs are woven in the city of Kerman in southeastern Persia and several small towns and villages in the vicinity. The pattern of Kerman rugs is almost always curvilinear with the exception of the famous Kerman pictorials which fall under the pictorial category of pattern. Kerman rugs are woven in a variety of intricate designs from cartoons.

The more modern designs mainly developed for the Western market in the late 19th century are either Aubussons or Koran (Quran) medallion-and-corners with an open field. The open field is actually an important distinguishing characteristic of these modern Kerman rugs. The traditional Kerman designs consist of Shah Abbasi medallion-and-corner, all-over floral, all-over boteh, striped designs, paneled garden, tree-of-life, prayer, vase, garden, hunting, animal, and the famous elaborate pictorials using both Persian and European themes. Usually 15 to 30 colors are used in one rug. The two most common colors used in antique and semi-antique rugs are rich red and red-blue. More recent rugs tend to have pastel colors such as lime green, pink, ivory and gray-blue. Turquoise, orange, champagne and beige are also among the commonly used colors. Kerman rugs are woven with the asymmetric (Persian) knot

Lavar Kerman

Kerman is both a city and a Province of Persia. So a Kerman rug may be from the city but more likely the carpet would come from the Province. Raver or Lavar as it is called in the West has had the reputation for the finest Kerman carpets. These so called Lavar Kerman may actually be made in a number of places in Kerman but the market calls them Lavar Kerman. Evidence shows that Laver Kerman rugs were also made in Rafsanjan and that the production of certain producers such as Atiyeh are sold as Lavar Kerman.

We can expect Kerman carpets to range between 200 and 400 knots per square inch. If a carpet is towards the upper end of the range then it is often called Lavar Kerman. mid to lower end of the scale it is called Kerman.

Please note: almost all old and antique rugs are associated with some minor color change (abrash), previous repair, wavy shapes, possible weak materials, missing line on the borders, diverse pattern which in a way add to the beauty of these rugs.

 This Rug comes with a certificate of authenticity upon request.