9'5" x 13'5" Persian Mashad Rug | Red Floral Field | Star Medallion | Navy Border
Rich red, deep navy and soft Khorasan wool are the signature of a good Mashad, and this 9'5" x 13'5" rug has all three. It is hand-knotted in wool on a cotton foundation at approximately 220 to 240 knots per square inch and has never been used, so the pile is full and the reds are bright. Its large format suits a spacious living room, a great room or a dining room for 8 to 10, the kind of room Mashad weavers have always made rugs for. It ships with a certificate of authenticity recording origin, materials and knot count.
Design and Motifs
At the center sits a star shaped medallion in navy and orange, layered around a pale blue and ivory rosette and fringed with small palmettes. Navy pendants reach above and below it toward the ends of the rug. The red field around it is filled with scrolling vines, palmettes, rosettes and small leaves, drawn in the flowing curvilinear style Mashad is known for. The field takes a lobed, medallion-like shape thanks to the camel and ivory spandrels in the 4 corners, each holding a large floral spray. The wide main border is navy, with red, ivory and camel palmettes linked by a continuous vine, and it is framed by narrow ivory and red guard stripes with a red outer band and fringe at both ends.
Red, Navy and Camel
The field is a strong, clear red, the classic color of Mashad weaving, and it gives the rug warmth and presence in a large room. Across it, the vines and flowers are worked in navy, rose red, olive green, blue and turquoise, so the field reads as a lively floral garden. The medallion adds a burst of dark orange and navy at the center, and its pale blue heart is the lightest point in the field. The camel and ivory spandrels soften the corners and frame the red with gentle golden tones. The navy border is the deepest color in the rug and holds the composition together, while its red and ivory palmettes tie back to the field. It is a warm, traditional palette that suits rooms with wood floors, leather furniture and classic decor.
Mashad and Khorasan Wool
Mashad, also spelled Mashhad, is the capital of the Khorasan region in northeast Persia and one of the country's longest established weaving centers. The city's workshops are known for large, curvilinear medallion rugs with red or navy fields and floral corners, woven on cotton foundations with the soft, lustrous wool of Khorasan. That wool is the key to how Persian Mashad rugs feel underfoot: long stapled, soft and slightly glossy, and it takes deep, rich dye. This piece is a classic example, with a bold red field, a well drawn medallion and an unused pile, and it is ready to anchor a large room for many years.
