Central Persia

The Iranian city of Isfahan has long been one of the centres for production of the famous Persian carpet. Isfahani carpets are known for their high quality. The most famous workshop in Isfahan is Seirafian. Weaving in Isfahan flourished in the Safavid era. But when the Afghans invaded Iran, ending the Safavid dynasty, the craft also became stagnant. The high knot density antique carpets in which Isfahan excelled continued to be woven in the late 19th and 20th centuries, maintaining the original inspiration and attention to refinement and detail.

Very fine Persian Dabir Kashan in perfect condition, circa 1920. High density knotting woven from kork wool, creating an intricate design. From the mid-19th to the early 20th century the finest quality rugs from Kashan were called Dabir and said to be from the workshop of Dabir. Kashan is a city in North Central Iran. We know that there was production of Persian Carpet at Royal workshops in the 17th and early 18th century. Many authors attribute Persian Rugs and Carpet to Kashan in the 16th century particularly of the so-called small silk Kashan Persian Carpet group.