3'5" x 5' Signed Persian Qum Pure Silk Rug, Oval Floral Medallion, Navy Blue and Coral

This exceptional Persian Qum rug is a masterclass in fine silk weaving, bearing a woven signature and executed at 800 knots per square inch in 100% pure silk, pile and foundation alike. Qum, also written Qom or Ghom, is the most celebrated city in Iran for silk rug production, and signed examples from its finest workshops represent the pinnacle of collectible Persian textile art. The deep navy blue ground gives this piece a formal, commanding presence, while the luminous coral and ivory floral work produces a striking visual contrast that shifts in brilliance as the viewing angle changes. This rug is in excellent condition and has never been used, with full even pile and no repairs throughout.

Design and Motifs

The composition centers on a large oval medallion densely filled with a symmetrical arrangement of full-blown coral roses, peonies, white blossoms, soft blue wildflowers, and intricately scrolling green foliage, all rendered against the dark navy ground with extraordinary precision. The medallion is framed by an arched surround that gives it the appearance of a garden window. Above and below the medallion, the field is divided into three rectangular cartouche panels on each end, each containing a classical Persian vase or basket overflowing with flowers, a motif associated with the finest Qum compositions. The surrounding field remains open navy, allowing the medallion and cartouche panels to command full visual attention. The border system features an outer ivory and gold arabesque guard of continuous interlocking scrollwork, a wider navy main border filled with a coral floral vine, and a narrow inner ivory rope guard, all combining to frame the composition with multiple layers of refined detail.

Colors and Placement

The ground color throughout the field and main border is a deep, saturated navy blue, a rich midnight tone that anchors the entire composition and causes the floral palette to glow against it. The primary floral color is a warm salmon coral, used extensively across the roses and peonies in the medallion, the cartouche panels, and the border vine, creating a consistent and harmonious thread that ties the design together. White and soft ivory appear in the smaller blossoms and leaf highlights, providing brightness and contrast. Pale blue accents are scattered throughout the smaller flowers, adding a cooler note that balances the warmth of the coral. Green foliage in sage and olive tones fills the spaces between blooms with natural texture. Gold appears in the outer arabesque border, adding a precious metallic accent along the edges. The ivory silk fringe at both ends completes the composition with a clean, fine finish.

Qum Silk Rugs

Qum is Iran's most prestigious center for fine silk rug production, located approximately 150 kilometers south of Tehran. The city's weavers are renowned for producing some of the most technically demanding rugs in the world, with knot counts regularly exceeding 500 per square inch and the finest signed examples surpassing 800. This rug is woven at 800 KPSI on a 100% silk foundation, with both warp and weft threads in silk, contributing to the extraordinary suppleness, thinness, and density of the finished piece. The woven signature visible in the header band identifies this as a documented workshop piece, placing it among the most collectible category of Qum production. At this knot count and in this condition, the rug is equally suited as a fine accent in a living room, bedroom, or study, or displayed as a wall-hung textile artwork.