3'4" x 5' Persian Qum Pure Silk Rug | Signed Varmaluei | Burgundy Medallion | 800 KPSI

This magnificent hand-knotted Persian Qum rug measures 3'4" x 5' and is woven entirely from pure silk in both its foundation and pile, one of the most technically demanding and visually rich constructions produced in Iranian rug weaving. It bears the woven signature of the Varmaluei workshop, confirmed in a Persian script cartouche at the top of the rug, and is knotted at approximately 800 knots per square inch. At this density, the extraordinary complexity of the multicolor floral design is rendered with a clarity and painterly precision that sets this piece apart from lower-grade production. The rug is in excellent condition and has never been used, retaining its full pile depth, original luster, and the brilliant directional sheen characteristic of finest Qum silk.

Design and Motifs

The composition centers on a large oval medallion occupying the central third of the deep burgundy field. The medallion body has a dark navy blue ground and is densely packed with an all-over continuous floral lattice of ivory and golden yellow vine scrolls, full blossoms, palmettes, and leaf clusters, with accents of coral red, lavender, soft pink, and sage green creating a jewel-like interior effect. A pointed arch-form frame in golden yellow outlines the medallion against the burgundy field, with pendant finials above and below. The surrounding field is covered with a continuous all-over arabesque in golden yellow vines and scrolls, populated with large and small blossoms in coral, ivory, lavender, pink, and yellow against the rich dark wine ground. A narrow navy blue inner border frames the field before the main border begins. The wide main border features a dark burgundy or maroon ground carrying boldly drawn large rose and peony-type blossoms in coral red, deep red, and warm pink, surrounded by scrolling leaves and smaller flowers in sage green, lavender, and ivory. Ivory guard stripes with small repeating floral scrolls enclose the border on both sides. A thin burgundy selvedge stripe with ivory fringe finishes the edges.

Colors and Placement

The dominant ground color of the field is a deep, rich burgundy that sits between wine red and dark maroon, a saturated and opulent tone that reads as warm and dramatic in any lighting. This dark ground makes every other color in the composition glow with heightened intensity, and the silk pile amplifies this effect by shifting the apparent brightness of each tone as viewing angles change. The all-over floral arabesque covering the field is primarily rendered in warm golden yellow for the vine and scroll framework, with full blossoms in coral red, ivory, soft pink, and lavender distributed throughout. The navy blue oval medallion at the center introduces a cool, deep counterpoint to the warm red ground, and its interior palette of ivory, golden yellow, coral, and sage creates a luminous, garden-like core. The inner border stripe in navy blue provides a clean graphic separation between field and border. The main border's bold rose and peony blossoms are rendered in multiple shades of red and coral against the dark ground, making the border feel richly decorative rather than restrained. Sage green appears in leaf clusters throughout both field and border, providing a natural, organic note. Lavender and soft purple accents appear in select flower petals across the full surface, adding a delicate and somewhat unexpected freshness to the palette. Light blue appears in small detail elements. Ivory and cream thread through every area as highlight and outline tones. The overall palette is maximally rich and multicolor, layered and complex in a way that rewards close examination while still reading as cohesive and harmonious from a distance.

• Field: Deep burgundy/dark wine red ground
• Medallion: Large oval medallion with deep navy blue ground, filled with dense multicolor florals in ivory, golden yellow, coral, pink, lavender, sage green
• Field florals: All-over continuous floral arabesque in golden yellow, ivory, coral red, pink, lavender, sage green on the burgundy ground
• Border: Wide main border on dark burgundy/maroon ground with large bold rose blossoms, coral, pink, lavender, yellow, green; enclosed by ivory guard stripes with small repeating florals
• Inner border: Deep navy blue strip with golden yellow arabesque scrolls between field and main border

Qum Silk Rugs

Qum is a city in central Iran that built its international reputation for fine rug weaving during the twentieth century through the exclusive use of pure silk and the pursuit of extraordinarily high knot counts. The Varmaluei workshop is a recognized Qum weaving name, and a signed piece from an established workshop carries direct provenance that adds both collector value and buyer confidence. The silk-on-silk construction, meaning both the structural warp-and-weft foundation and the knotted pile are pure silk, allows for the structural precision and the reflective luminosity that define the finest Qum output. At approximately 800 KPSI, the drawing in this rug achieves a level of detail and motif clarity that approaches illustration, with every blossom petal and leaf form individually distinguishable even within the densest passages. The silk pile shifts in apparent tone and intensity as the viewing angle changes, giving the rug a living, three-dimensional quality that flat photography cannot fully convey. This is a genuine collector and investment grade example of one of the most admired fine rug traditions in the world.