5'1" x 6'6" Antique Persian Lilihan Rug | Red Field Central Medallion | Symmetrical Floral | 280-320 KPSI

An approximately 70 year old hand-knotted antique Persian Lilihan rug, sized at 5'1" x 6'6", woven with a deep red field, a central medallion, and symmetrical floral work spread across the ground. Despite its age, the rug is in mint, never used condition, suggesting it was kept as a collectible piece rather than placed underfoot. Lilihan weaving comes from western Iran and falls within the broader Sarouk and Arak weaving tradition, known for durable wool construction and dense floral drawing. For more on Persian weaving regions and how Lilihan fits into the wider tradition, our guide to the world of Persian rugs is a good starting point.

Design and Motifs

A central medallion anchors the composition, surrounded by symmetrical botanical work that fills the field with palmettes, rosettes, and curling vines. The drawing is symmetric across both axes, which is characteristic of Lilihan workshop production from this period. The main border carries repeating floral cartouches and palmette motifs that frame the field, supported by ivory and indigo minor borders.

Colors and Placement

The palette is rich and multi-toned, with deep red leading and indigo, ivory, coral, sage green, navy blue, gold, light blue, pink, taupe, dark brown, and olive green all woven through the floral work and border. The red and indigo combination ages with remarkable depth in Lilihan rugs, which is part of why this piece reads as warm and saturated even after seven decades. At 5'1" x 6'6" the rug works well in a breakfast nook, a small dining room, the foot of a queen bed, in front of a fireplace, or as the anchor of a reading nook.

Origin and Construction

Lilihan is a town in the Arak region of western Iran, part of the broader weaving area that produced Sarouk and Mahal rugs through the early and mid twentieth century. Lilihan weavers are known for durable wool construction and densely drawn floral fields. This piece is hand-knotted in 100% wool pile on a wool foundation at roughly 280 to 320 knots per square inch, which is high for the type and reflects the care given to a rug intended as a collectible from the outset. After approximately seventy years it arrives with full pile, intact selvages, clean fringe, and the original saturated dye depth.