Farahan Rug

Farahan Rug
220px Design of Ferahan Rug (Rugman)
General information
Name	Ferahan Rug
Original name	قالی فراهان
Alternative name(s)	Ferahan Carpet
Origin	Iran: Markazi
Category	Village
Technical information
Common designs	Vagireh, Lachak Toranj
Common colors	Red, Green, Begie, Blue, Cream, Yellow
Dyeing method	Natural, Synthetic
Pile material	Wool
Foundation material	Cotton
Knot type	Asymmetrical (Persian)

Ferahan rugs are hand woven in the province of Markazi in central Iran. Ferahan is actually a collection of farm towns and small villages with a long and illustrious history of weaving magnificent tribal traditional rugs. In many western countries today, Ferahan rugs are known and sold as Mahal, from the city of Mahallat in the district of Ferahan. The traditional rugs from this region are of the highest quality and in great demand the world over. The Sarouk is one of the most famous traditional rugs produced in the region. Tribal people meticulously weave Ferahan traditional rugs to exacting specifications using the Persian asymmetrical knot.

History

Farahan, also spelled Fereghan, is a region in the north of the Markazi (formerly Arak) Province, located in west central Iran. Farahan rugs and carpets are known in the market from the mid-nineteenth century.
Farahan is known for its many towns and villages that produce carpets, notably CHESHMEH, MOHAJERAN, SAROUK, and SULTANABAD (renamed Arak). In the antique market, any fine carpet woven during the nineteenth century from the Farahan region carries the Farahan name. Zili Sultan rugs from Mohajeran and Sultanabad are also associated with Farahan. With the high demand for Oriental carpets from the West during the 1920s, many Farahan towns and villages adapted their weaving qualities and designs, but they marketed their weavings with their own location without adding the Farahan name. An example, Farahan Sarouks became known as just “Sarouks”; in America, as they were the number one choice for consumers, the rugs were also called “American Sarouks” in the trade.
The most well-known Farahan carpet in the antique market is the Farahan Sarouk. They were produced in great quantity for the European, American, and domestic markets. Farahan Sarouks were made beginning in 1880, with a tightly woven double weft.
ZILI SULTAN rugs are another example of fine weavings produced in Farahan during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Another characteristic Farahan type is from the village of Cheshmeh.
Another important but rare woven product was the Farahan silk rug made between the second half and the turn of the nineteenth century. They were woven in a fine grade quality with various traditional designs in an angular floral style. They are valuable in the antique market and are in demand by collectors and consumers. Another rarely found Farahan type from the same period has multicolored silk warp threads with a wool pile, and those were made very fine in grade quality.

Materials

Foundation and Pile

Excluding the rare pieces with silk foundations having silk or wool piles, all Farahan area rugs have a cotton warp and weft and a wool pile.

Techniques and structures

Color and dyeing

Farahan Sarouk carpet backgrounds are reds, ranging from brick-red to peach in coloration. A lesser percentage of carpets with dark blue or ivory backgrounds were also produced. These three colors were interchangeable between the border and field. In addition to these colors, different shades of blues, gold, greens, cinnamon, and browns were applied for the medallion, design motifs, and outlines.
ZILI SULTAN rugs are known the mostly ivory-colored background. Cheshmeh rug weavings were made with narrow borders and a deep green field border.

Motifs and Designs

Farahan Sarouks designs are semifloral, mostly in a medallion style, with four medallion quadrants in the corners of the background. The design motifs are flower heads with leaves and vines in the field and borders. A low percentage of allover designs were made, with Lattice, palmette, or the popular flowers with leaves and vines. Wild animal motifs were also included in some carpets.
Farahan Sarouk Mihrab (prayer arch) with or without columns with Vase motifs in the field, allover flower bouquets, the Tree of Life, animal and bird motifs, or, occasionally, unique pictorial designs.
One of the popular rug designs was an allover style with a repeating Vase and flowers pattern featuring a bird on each side. This design was named after the crown Qajar prince of the period, Zili Sultan, who initiated designs that had European influences and were suitable for the Western markets. Other traditional allover designs made were the Herati (fish), Minakhani (rosette- linked trellis), Vase, and palmettes.The borders are narrow and are considered a frame for the rug.
The designs Cheshmeh rug were in a Herati or Mustafi style on a dark blue background. The Charkhfellek (windmill) pattern is also popular in Chesmeh and other Farahan- area weavings.

Weaving techniques

Farahan Sarouk formats range from small mats to oversize carpets. Smaller Farahan rugs were woven in dimensions ranging from approxi-mately five feet by three feet to seven feet by four feet and feature the Mihrab (prayer arch).
The Persian (asymmetric) knot is invariably used in all weavings. They are made from very good to very fine in grade quality.
ZILI SULTAN rugs are known for their very fine quality of weave, the size (approximately six feet by four feet). The sizes found in the antique market range from approximately six feet by four feet to small room dimensions, along with runners and gallery formats.

See also

Cheshmeh Rug, Mohajeran Rug, Sarouk Rug, Sulatanabad Rug, Arak Rug

Bibliography

• Abraham Levi Moheban, (2015), The Encyclopedia of Antique Carpets: Twenty-Five Centuries of Weaving, NewYork: Princeton Architectural Press.
• Ferahan rugs, JOZAN: Rug news and antique rugs.