8'3" x 11'3" Persian Bijar Rug | Bronze Red Herati | Navy Medallion and Ivory Spandrels
Two small flower bouquets, one above and one below the medallion, are the detail that gives this Bijar its character, a softer, more floral touch inside an otherwise strictly geometric herati design. The rug measures 8'3" x 11'3", is hand-knotted in wool at approximately 340 to 360 knots per square inch, and has never been used. It is a natural choice for buyers looking at 9x12 Persian rugs for a living room or dining room, and it ships with a certificate of authenticity recording origin, materials and knot count.
Design and Motifs
The field is a large elongated hexagon in bronze red, with long straight sides and pointed ends. It sits on an ivory ground, and each corner of that ground is closed by a red triangle. At the center of the hexagon is a navy medallion of the same shape, edged in ivory, and the 2 flower bouquet finials mark its top and bottom. The herati pattern, known in Bijar as mahi or fish, covers the red field, the ivory spandrels, the corner triangles and the navy medallion: a rosette framed by 4 curved leaves in a small diamond, repeated in a continuous lattice. The main border is a navy band of ivory and red palmettes linked by curling leaves, framed by fine red and ivory guard stripes and a red outer band.
Bronze Red, Ivory and Navy
The main field is a bronze red with a strong dark orange undertone, warmer and lighter than a classic brick red. Its herati is drawn in navy and purple with small sky blue, green and pink rosettes, so the red has a fine texture up close and a smooth glow from across the room. The ivory and beige spandrels frame it in light, their lattice picked out in red, navy and brown. The 4 red corner triangles repeat the field color at the edges. The navy medallion is the deepest point, its lattice worked in rose, ivory and gray, and the bouquet finials add bright touches of red, green and pink. The navy border closes the composition with a frame of darker color. Since the rug has never been used, every tone is as clear as the day it was finished.
Bijar, Built Like Iron
Bijar is a Kurdish town in the western highlands of Persia, and it has given its name to one of the most durable weaves in the world. During knotting the wool is dampened and the wefts are beaten down hard with a metal comb, compressing the rug until its warps sit on 2 levels and the fabric becomes firm and heavy. That is why Persian Bijar rugs are called the iron rugs of Persia, and why they are bought to be kept for generations. At 340 to 360 knots per square inch, this one pairs that legendary build with finer drawing than most Bijars, and with its unused pile and bouquet finials it is a piece that will serve and stand out for decades.
