Borujerd Rug

Borujerd Rug
Design of Borujerd Rug (Rugman)
General information
Name	Borujerd Rug
Original name	قالی بروجرد
Alternative name(s)	Borujerd Carpet
Origin	Iran: Lorestan
Category	Village
Technical information
Common designs	Geometric, Boteh, Shah Abbasi
Common colors	Crimson, Navy Blue, Blue, Ivory
Dyeing method	Natural, Synthetic
Pile material	Wool
Foundation material	Cotton
Knot type	Symmetrical (Turkish)

Borujerd rugs originate from Borujerd, a city in the Province of Lorestan in western Iran, where some of the finest tribal traditional rug weavers can be found. The Province of Lorestan is also where the famous Lori tribal rugs are woven. For reasons that have yet to be explained, Borujerd rugs do not resemble a Lori rug. Instead they are clearly influenced by the traditional rug weaving designs of Malayer. The skilled artisans in Borujerd ply their craft with great attention to detail, diligently tying the asymmetrical Persian knot. In order to produce a superior quality traditional rug, it is quite common for a highly skilled weaver to spend months devoted to producing a single rug.

History

Borujerd is a city that was located in the southern region of the Hamadan Province in western Iran. After the Islamic Revolution (1979) the borders changed, and it is now located in the Lorestan Province. Borujerd rugs are known in the market from the turn of the century. They are categorized as one of Hamadan's Mosul Rugs.
Borujerds have semigeometric designs in a medallion or allover style. The rug motifs vary, but are usually palmettes with leaves and vines. Other designs are the traditional Boteh (paisley), Herati (fish), Shrub, and Vase motifs. Weavers also used animals, birds, human figures, and tribal devices for the field and border designs. The coloration is primarily reds, with a small percentage of ivory or dark blues used for the back-ground. In addition, different shades of blue, brown, camel, gold, and green were used for the borders and design elements. Dark blue or dark brown are standard for the design outlines. Borujerd formats range from small mats to rugs approximately seven feet by four feet six inches. Runners and gallery sizes were woven in a variety of lengths. The rugs have a cotton foundation and a wool pile. The Turkish (symmetric) knot is used. Borujerd weavings are generally good to fine in grade quality.
Early Borujerd rugs can have a market value up to approximately $5,000. By the last quarter of the twentieth century some Borujerd weavers switched from traditional designs and made rugs and carpets similar to those of other neighboring areas in accordance with the demand of domestic and export consumers.

See also

Search for Borujerd Rug on Wikipedia.

Bibliography

1. Abraham Levi Moheban. 2015. The Encyclopedia of Antique Carpets: Twenty-Five Centuries of Weaving. NewYork: Princeton Architectural Press.