Persian Carpets - Shiraz/Kashkay | Van der Hulst Oriental Carpets

News · Newsletters · 2008/02 Persian Carpets - Shiraz/Kashkay

2008/02 Persian Carpets - Shiraz/Kashkay

Image - Persian Carpets - Shiraz/Kashkay

Shiraz is one of the oldest cities of Iran, it is the capital of the Fars province and is located in the south of Iran. The historic city is surrounded by the Zagros mountains situated near the ruins of the destroyed and plundered city Persepolis. Shiraz is often called the city of roses, because of the many parks in the city, and is the birthplace of two famous Iranian poets from the past. Today's Shiraz is visited by many tourists. The bazaar of Shiraz was a well known marketplace in the past for the many carpets in de region, especially for the travelling nomad's from witch the Kashkay tribe was one of the most important and famous. In the city of Shiraz was knotted on a small scale. The knotted carpets in the region (including the beautiful colourful Kilim carpets) were often marketed under the name Shiraz.

The warp - and weft thread of the knotted carpets are almost all made of wool, sometimes mixed with goat wool. The pile is made of wool. Depending the tribes both Senneh and Ghiordes knots were used. In the villages they often used a vertical loom. The nomads a horizontal loom. The used glossy wool was of fine quality, the number of knots/cinch varied among the tribes, but was not too fine. Therefore the carpets are smooth and in the Netherlands an underlay is often used to provide a better stability. The Kashkay carpets in general were finer knotted and more colourful with artistic drawings. The durability of the Shiraz and Kashkay carpets, depending on the use, is still very good.

One of the most common drawings is the crocheted lozenge or diamond pattern, sometimes made as a large medallion, or two or three smaller medallions on top of each other. These medallions are surrounded by narrow and broad bands with flower, star, or rosette motives. In the open fields sometimes Herati - or Boteh patterns were used, but also images of pets (the rooster and dog are very familiar), trees and flowers. Even pictures of lions are seen. The colours red, blue, beige, yellow, ochre or orange were frequently used. The ends of the rugs are often braided or equipped with a small colourful woven beard (Kilim). On the coloured sides were often small multicoloured decorative brushes. The sizes ranges from 0.30 x 0.30 cm to slightly larger than 3.00 x 2.00 m.

Collectors love the knotted and woven saddles and bags of the nomads. In today's interiors these bags often hang on the wall, as if it is a miniature painting or people use it as a pillow. At fairs and auctions Shiraz and Kashkay carpets are still frequently seen. The prices are reasonable and you can still enjoy these rugs for years, but it is advisable to have these carpets checked on purchase by a carpet expert.

If you would like to look at more Shiraz/Kashkay carpets please fill out our contact form. Van der Hulst Oriental Carpets can introduce you to the largest importers of oriental and Persian carpets.