2'11" x 9'7" Persian Bijar Runner Rug | Mahi Design | Ivory and Black Medallions on Rust
A hallway takes more foot traffic than any other part of a home, which is exactly why a Bijar makes such a good runner. This 2'11" x 9'7" piece is hand-knotted in wool on a cotton foundation at approximately 340 to 360 knots per square inch, and it carries the famously dense Bijar build that shrugs off daily wear. Its length suits a long hallway, an entry or the side of a bed, and its width fits most standard corridors with floor showing on both sides. The runner is in excellent condition with full pile, and it ships with a certificate of authenticity recording origin, materials and knot count.
Design and Motifs
Down the center runs a chain of 5 stepped diamond medallions, alternating ivory and black: ivory at both ends and in the middle, black in between. Each medallion is filled with the herati pattern, known in Bijar as mahi or fish, a small rosette framed by 4 curved leaves inside a diamond. The same lattice covers the rust field around them, so the medallions appear to sit in the pattern rather than on top of it. Small hooked tips at the top and bottom of each diamond link it to the next, giving the runner a steady rhythm along its length. The main border is a black band of rust, rose and ivory palmettes on a scrolling vine, framed by narrow rust and ivory guard stripes.
Rust, Black and Ivory
The field is a deep rust brown, warm and earthy, with its herati drawn in black, rose red and light brown and dotted with small olive and sky blue rosettes. The 3 ivory medallions are the bright notes, their lattice worked in rust, black and purple. The 2 black medallions are the darkest points, their herati picked out in rust, rose and ivory. That alternation of light and dark keeps the eye moving down the hall. The black border frames everything in a strong dark line, its palmettes in rust, rose and ivory with touches of light blue. It is a rich, grounded palette that hides everyday dust and footprints well, which matters on a runner, and it sits comfortably with wood floors and darker trim.
Bijar Strength in a Runner
Bijar is a Kurdish town in the highlands of western Persia, and its weavers are known for one of the toughest constructions in the rug world. The wool is dampened during weaving, and each row of wefts is beaten down with a heavy metal comb until the rug is compressed into a dense, firm fabric. That method is why Persian Bijar rugs are known as the iron rugs, and it is the quality you want most in a piece that will be walked on every day. This runner, with its chain of mahi medallions and its Bijar build, is made to handle a busy hallway for decades and still look crisp.
