Handmade Rug Master Weavers & Workshops

Most Persian and Oriental rugs are attributed to a city, tribe or workshop, sometimes to a family atelier, and only rarely to a single named ustad. What we can assess with confidence are the clues: design vocabulary and layout; materials and foundations; knot type and density; palette and dyes; finishing; inscriptions or cartouches; and any documented provenance.

Below are several well-documented names and workshops, with notes on what to look for. Treat other attributions with care unless the rug carries a signature or strong supporting evidence.

Tabriz

Haji (Hadji) Jalili - atelier/style, c. 1870-1910

Often linked to Marand and Tabriz trade circles in the late nineteenth century. Expect refined drawing with elegant medallions and cornerpieces, restrained rose, mushroom and ivory grounds, delicate vinery and tasteful abrash. Work ranges from room-size carpets to fine rugs; backs are tidy, with even knotting and careful finishing.

  • Soft, harmonious palettes with subtle shading
  • High, even knot counts; cotton foundations, occasional silk highlights
  • City workmanship with balanced borders and crisp detail

Kashan

Mohtasham - master/atelier, nineteenth century

The “Mohtasham Kashan” corpus is among the best-known name attributions in Persian weaving. Pieces show superb kurk (lambswool) pile, fine knotting and exquisitely drawn floral work.

  • Rich dyes: madder reds, indigo blues, soft celadons and ivories
  • Tight, velvety handle; meticulous guard borders
  • Classical Shah-Abbas palmettes, medallion-and-pendant layouts, fine herati fields

Isfahan

Seirafian - family workshop, twentieth century to present

Synonymous with high-grade Isfahan rugs. Expect very fine knotting on cotton (or silk) foundations, immaculate drawing and considered use of silk for detail.

  • Courtly curvilinear designs, balanced symmetry and crisp arabesques
  • Ivory and soft ground colours with jewel-like accents
  • Signatures or cartouches frequently present and neatly executed

Nain

Habibian - family workshop, mid-twentieth century onwards

Closely associated with top-tier Nain production (6-La/9-La). Known for pale, airy palettes and precise workmanship.

  • Light grounds (ivory, cream, soft blues) with midnight or teal accents
  • Fine knotting; cotton warp and weft, often with silk outlining in the pattern
  • Elegant medallion carpets with disciplined borders

Mashhad (Khorasan)

Amoghli (Amuoghli) - family/workshop, late nineteenth to twentieth century

A respected Mashhad name tied to finely made city pieces of generous scale.

  • Ruby to claret grounds with flowing arabesques and large cartouches
  • Firm, durable construction on cotton foundations
  • Confident large-format drawing suited to grand rooms

Hereke (Ottoman/Turkey)

Hereke Imperial Factory - court manufactory, founded 1843

Established under Sultan Abdülmecid I to supply palaces. Later and modern Hereke pieces continue the tradition, often in silk.

  • Very fine knotting; silk pile on silk foundations is common
  • Courtly medallions, prayer and panel designs with impeccable finishing
  • Jewel-tone palettes, exact symmetry and crisp cartouches

Reading the clues: a quick checklist

  • Design and motifs - city curvilinear versus village or tribal geometry; medallion systems; border grammar
  • Materials and foundation - wool, silk or a mix; cotton versus wool warps and wefts; presence of silk highlights
  • Knotting - Persian (asymmetric) versus Turkish (symmetric); density, consistency and what the back reveals
  • Palette and dyes - natural versus synthetic eras; typical ground colours by centre; use of abrash
  • Finish - selvedges, fringes and overcasting; evenness of pile; patterns of restoration
  • Inscriptions and provenance - signatures, workshop cartouches, dated panels; dealer or family documentation

If you are assessing a piece for a named attribution, weigh all of the above together and be cautious of claims that rest on a single feature. When a specific name is not warranted, a precise attribution to place, period and quality tier is often the most honest - and most useful - description.