2'9 x 14'6 Persian Nain Runner | 6La Habibian Signed | Four Medallion Allover | Wool and Silk on Silk Foundation

This is a masterpiece-level Persian Nain runner signed by the legendary Habibian workshop, the most celebrated and collectible Nain master weaver of the twentieth century. Woven in the exceptional 6La grade, the finest standard construction Nain produces, the rug is built on a pure silk foundation at roughly 550 to 600 knots per square inch. Silk highlights are worked throughout the wool pile to outline medallions, arabesques, and key floral elements, giving the surface a luminous definition that catches the light and shifts with the viewing angle. The upper ivory guard carries the woven Iran Habibian signature cartouche, a true provenance marker and one of the most desirable attributions in the Nain tradition. Condition is pristine, never used, and the pile is full with crisp drawing throughout all fourteen and a half feet.

Design and Motifs

The field presents four full diamond-shaped medallions linked down the length of the runner, each anchored by a finely drawn central rosette radiating stylized petal forms. Smaller ivory connecting rosettes sit between the primary medallions, creating a continuous rhythm along the vertical axis. The ground between medallions is filled with a dense classical vocabulary of palmettes, lotus blossoms, rosebud clusters, curling cloudband leaves, and sinuous vine tracery. The ivory main border carries a stately floral vine with alternating rosettes and star flowers, framed by narrow guard stripes in camel and powder blue. Every element is drawn with the precision that only a very high knot count permits, and the repeat is remarkably well controlled across the long format.

Colors and Placement

The field reads as a deep midnight navy, nearly black in softer light and revealing its full blue depth in daylight. Against this dark ground the ivory and cream medallions read as bright focal points, accented by sky blue and powder blue silk highlights that give the curling scrollwork a cool shimmer. Soft gold and camel tones warm the palette through the palmettes and secondary blossoms, while small touches of burgundy, wine red, pale pink, pale yellow, and soft green bring subtle color life to the flowers without disrupting the overall cool tonality. The ivory main border provides a luminous frame around the dark field. This runner will anchor formal hallways, long corridors, and gallery spaces beautifully, pairing effortlessly with dark hardwood, traditional millwork, navy and cream palettes, and classic or transitional interiors.

Nain Rugs and Construction

Nain is a city on the edge of the central Iranian desert that rose to prominence as a rug-weaving center in the mid-twentieth century, quickly becoming synonymous with the finest city-workshop weaving in Iran. Nain construction is graded by the number of plies twisted into the foundation threads, expressed as "La" - the lower the number, the finer the rug, with 6La representing the finest standard production and 4La reserved for museum and collector pieces. The Habibian workshop, is the most revered name in Nain weaving and the signed pieces from this atelier are among the most sought-after Persian rugs on the market. This runner is hand-knotted with wool and silk pile on a pure silk foundation, giving it the characteristic silky sheen, exceptional resolution of detail, and long-term durability that define the best of the Nain tradition.