Mashhad Handwoven carpet

Let's get to know Mashhad handmade carpet

Mashhad is one of the carpet-weaving areas of Khorasan province, the prosperity of its carpets goes back to about 100 years ago. According to the existing documents and documents, the beginning of carpet weaving in Mashhad was probably in the Safavid era and about 500 years ago, and the traditions based on weaving, design and dyeing have continued until the modern era. Mashhad is famous for weaving carpets in large dimensions with the designs of Shah Abbasi's large flowers and delicate stems. In this article, we will learn more about the characteristics of Mashhad handwoven carpets.

History of carpet weaving in Mashhad

Determining the date of the beginning of weaving handwoven carpets in Mashhad, as in other parts of Khorasan province, is almost difficult, because there are no historical examples of carpets available in these areas, and we can only rely on historical documents and reports in this case. According to the existing writings and documents, the oldest existing carpet attributed to the city of Mashhad belongs to the period of Shah Abbas Safavi (996 to 1038 AH). This carpet was woven by order of Shah Abbas and in Mashhad, for use in the shrine of Imam Reza (AS). There is no evidence about the style and process of carpet weaving in Mashhad from the time of the Safavids until the beginning of the fourteenth century AH, but after that we can rely on the writings of foreign travelers who visited Iran and mentioned Mashhad carpets in their writings. For example, Schindler, a German traveler who visited the city of Mashhad in 1293 AH, described this city as follows: "The price of food in Mashhad is like Dar al-Khilafah. The price of carpets, copper, etc. is even higher than in Dar al-Khilafah... In Mashhad, silk fabric and good carpets are woven." Cecil Edwards believes that there is no carpet that has a history of more than 80 years and belongs to the city of Mashhad.

Revival of carpet weaving art in Mashhad

In general, the carpet weaving industry in Mashhad was revived after passing a vague and uncertain period, approximately between 1240 and 1250 AH, and after that it went through the stages of growth and progress. Since the beginning of 1280 AH, the exquisite carpets produced in Mashhad, which are mostly produced by masters and weavers of the new and contemporary period of Mashhad and had high artistic and economic value, have been exported abroad and are now in prominent museums and collections in They are kept inside and outside the country. Historically, with the arrival of the Qajar kings, order, law and relative security gradually came to dominate the roads of Iran, and this caused the prosperity of some industrial arts, including carpet art. The support of the Qajar kings in setting up carpet exhibitions in the western countries, as well as the promotion of Iranian carpets in foreign travel books, was the reason for the expansion of carpet weaving in most of the urban and rural areas of Iran. Carpet weaving in Mashhad was revived thanks to the efforts of domestic merchants and producers who gathered from different parts of Iran through the shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in this city. According to the artifacts in museums and private collections, it can be said that the artists and craftsmen of Mashhad, Tabrizi and Kermani, together with each other, were able to revive the tradition of carpet weaving in Mashhad, the second era of Bashkoh Far Create the transparency of Khorasan.

Designs and patterns on the Mashhad carpet

Shah Abbasi's large flowers with relatively narrow and delicate stems have been one of the unique features of the old hand-woven carpet in Mashhad. These types of carpets are very similar to original carpets of Herat style, which belong to the city of Herat. Currently, the use of this style of carpet design can be seen, especially in Afshan, Lakh and Taranj carpets with inscription borders, in the products of Astan Qods Razavi Carpet Company. Pictorial designs, hunting ground and similar designs are rarely seen in Mashhad carpets. The weaving of different flower designs has been popular in Mashhad for several years. Saadi lace and tranj design, which is one of the special designs of South Khorasan (Birjand), has been woven a lot in Mashhad in recent decades. Also, the trend using Kerman, Kashan and Nain designs is also widely used in Mashhad carpets, examples of which can be seen in Tehran carpet market.

Color in Mashhad carpet

Currently, the dominant colors in Mashhad handwoven carpets include dark red (grain red), maroon, cream, green, blue, navy, and brown. In general, red and maroon colors are often seen in modern Mashhad carpets. But unfortunately, pink and yellow colors can be seen in Gol Farang carpets woven in Tabriz style in Mashhad, which have no compatibility with the design and color of authentic Mashhad carpets. In the woven carpets of Nain, Kashan and Kerman style, most of the carpets woven in Mashhad are influenced by the carpets of the mentioned regions in terms of color, and there is no special change in the samples woven in Mashhad in terms of color.

Raw materials in Mashhad carpet weaving

In Mashhad handwoven carpet, wool fibers are used for pile, and cotton fibers are used for warp and weft. In some old and famous carpets of Mashhad city, silk fibers have been used as lint. The remarkable thing about the wool fibers used in Mashhad carpet is that the weavers polish a lot of wool fibers before weaving to make them more shiny and transparent. Therefore, Mashhad carpets have a very bright and transparent appearance. The next noteworthy feature that can be said about the Mashhad carpet is the use of high-quality raw materials, so to speak, with an open heart. In this way, in many areas of carpet weaving, in order to reduce the costs of carpet weaving, they try to reduce the amount of raw materials used in the carpet as much as possible and save money. However, this does not apply to carpet weaving in Mashhad, and it must be said that in Mashhad carpet manufacturers always try to use the highest quality raw materials, and for this reason, Mashhad carpets are always of acceptable quality.

Common dimensions in Mashhad handwoven carpets

Mashhad carpets are generally woven in dimensions of 6 meters, 12 meters, 15 meters and even larger dimensions. But dimensions smaller than this are usually rarely woven. In some of the old carpets of Mashhad, such as Amo Oghli's carpets, dimensions larger than 100 square meters can be seen.

Technical characteristics of weaving in Mashhad handwoven carpet

Mashhad carpet is a carpet that is medium in terms of elegance and wool and cotton fibers are used for its texture. In the following, we will describe the technical characteristics of the Mashhad hand-woven carpet:

Rajshmar

Today's Mashhad carpets often have a count between 30 and 35 (30 to 35 knots per 6.5 cm) and rarely reach 40. Therefore, in terms of fine texture, they are classified as medium carpets. In some old examples, such as the famous Amo Aghli and Saber carpets, up to Rajshmar 130, it can be seen that they are very exquisite and elegant. Currently, some private sector producers in Mashhad also weave carpets with a count of 50 to 60, the number of which is small compared to other carpets produced in Mashhad.

Type of knot and stitching

Both types of Persian (asymmetrical) and Turkish (symmetrical) knots are used in the weaving of Mashhad carpets, but the Persian knot is more popular and old in this region; This means that the old and original carpets of Mashhad are often woven using Persian knots. Today, Mashhad carpets are all double-weave type and are often included in the category of Lollweave carpets. The durability and strength of Mashhad carpets is very good.

Shirazeh Bafi

In the hand-woven carpets of Mashhad, up to the last 50 years, carpet weaving has always been done while weaving. But from 50 years ago until now, the carpets in this area are twisted after finishing the Shirazeh weave. In some samples of the exquisite carpets of Mashhad, such as the products of the brothers Amo Oghli and Saber, instead of the usual shirazeh, a kind of rug weaving is performed using silk thread on both sides of the carpet, which together with the top and bottom shirazeh weaves like a frame around the carpet. It covers and creates a beautiful effect. It is necessary to point out that carpet weaving is done at the beginning and end of all the handwoven carpets of Mashhad in Persian style and using a thick weft.

Payment and collection

The payment of handwoven carpets in Mashhad is currently done after the weaving is finished and with the help of electric scissors.

A variety of carpets and rugs

The dars used for carpet weaving in Mashhad are all vertical and fixed dars. The old dars were made of strong and durable pieces of wood, and anyway, after a period of time, they were worn out and destroyed. But currently, vertical racks are made of metal, which is much more resistant than wooden racks. The weaving of Mashhad carpets is also done in the Turkish way. Turkish tufting is done for contemporary carpets of Mashhad, and Persian tufting was done in the old carpets of this region, which is now obsolete.

The most important carpet weaving centers in Mashhad

Targaba, Shandiz, Jagharq, Zashk and Noghand are among the most important carpet weaving centers in Mashhad.

A final word about Mashhad carpet

In a general view, Mashhad handwoven carpet is classified in the category of medium to fine carpets in terms of elegance, and in terms of quality, it is a high-quality carpet with a brilliant appearance. You can find very exquisite and delicate hand-woven carpets in Mashhad in prominent brands of this city such as "Amo Oghli". In terms of design and patterns, the most common pattern in carpet weaving in this region is Lach and Tareng. In addition to that, you can also see the imitation of carpets from areas such as Tabriz, Kerman, Nain and Kashan in the hand-woven carpets of Mashhad. Dark red and maroon colors are used abundantly in Mashhad carpets, and other colors include green, cream navy, brown, and blue.

You can inquire about Buying Handwoven Carpets , Buying Handwoven Kilim and Mats , and Buying Handwoven Pictorial Rug Tableaus online from the  Hoveida Carpet Store   and register all your orders and Wherever you are in the world, deliver it to the desired address in less than 4 working days.

If you are interested in reading other articles in the field of  Handwoven carpets or  Handwoven Pictorial Rug Tableaus , please refer to  Hoveida Carpet  Commercial