Sharabian Rug

Sharabian Rug
Design of Sharbian Rug (Rugman)
General information
Name	Sharabian Rug
Original name	قالی شربیان
Alternative name(s)	Sharabian Carpet
Origin	Iran: East Azerbaijan
Category	Village
Technical information
Common designs	Geometric, Medallion
Common colors	Black, Navy Blue, Red, Blue, Ivory
Dyeing method	Natural, Synthetic
Pile material	Wool
Foundation material	Cotton
Knot type	Symmetrical (Turkish)

Sharabian rug originate from Sharabian, located in the Province of Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran close to Heriz. Sharabian enjoys the same rich history of Persian carpet making as its neighbor Heriz. Due in large part to their close proximity geographically, the similarities in both color and design in a Persian carpet from Sharabian and one from Heriz are quite striking. The art of Persian carpet weaving in Sharbian is much as it was thousands of years ago. The skilled artisans learn their craft from elder family members and it continues even today to be passed down through the generations. The looms used to create Sharabian rugs have not changed much in millennia and Turkish knots are still used.

History

Sharabian is a village located in the East Azerbaijan Province of northwestern Iran. It is situated close to the famous weaving village of Heriz. The population is Azeri tribe in origin and speaks a Turkic dialect. Sharabian car-pet production started when the demand for Heriz carpets grew in the world marketplace during the turn of the twentieth century. Sharabian carpets have Heriz design styles and are grouped under the Heriz carpet name.
Sharabian background designs are nearly geometric or quasigeometric, featuring medallion or allover styles. The motifs include palmettes, leaves, and vines, with primitive nomadic design elements.
The weavings have a cotton foundation and a wool pile. The Turkish (symmetric) knot is employed. Sharabians are durable as floor coverings because weavers tightly hammer the wefts during production. After World War II, great quantities of Sharabians were produced for the domestic market and foreign export to the West.
The carpets generally have a brick-red or deep red background. Different shades of blue were used for the medallion and border. In addition to these colors, shades of red, ivory, green, rust, camel, coral, and brown are utilized for the design elements. Dark brown or black was incorporated for design outlines.
Sharabian sizes woven range from small mats to approximately fourteen feet by ten feet. A majority of carpets were made in standard dimensions of twelve feet by nine feet. Sharabian carpets are good in grade quality and are known to be durable.

See also

Search for Sharabian Rug on Wikipedia.

Bibliography

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