Antique Handmade Persian Ardakan Kashan Rug

Ardekan is an old city in central Iran that produces rugs with a close resemblance to the rugs of Kashan and Yazd. They usually have an intricate central medallion surrounded by floral motifs, intertwined grapevines and garden elements. The color schemes are mainly shades of red, burgundy, navy blue, and ivory. Besides the legendary cities of central Iran, such as Tehran, Isfahan, Kashan, Yazd, and Kerman, there are many smaller towns scattered throughout this area that also weave carpets of very high quality. Some of these small towns near Tehran are Veramin, Tafresh, Boroujerd, Khomaine and Taleghan, and, near Isfahan, are Najafabad, Josheghan, and the village of Maymeh. There are also a few near Kashan that produce fine rugs, such as Yazd and Ardekan. Kashan and Isfahan, being among the pioneers from the 16th century, have had enormous influence on their surroundings. Najafabad produces the designs of Isfahan, and Yazd and Ardekan the famous designs of Kashan, almost indistinguishably. An expert weaver in one of these cities will work non-stop on a carpet for many years. The famous asymmetrical Persian knot is generally the one used. The materials can be all wool, all silk or a mixture of the two. The foundation is usually cotton, except in very fine pieces, where it can be pure silk. Although rugs produced in the major cities of this region are technically superior to the ones produced on the outskirts, these pieces from the smaller towns of central Iran are still among the best. Many carpets from this area have been known to last several hundreds of years.