Highlight of Main Street Oriental Rugs' Collection

Main Street Oriental Rugs currently has in stock many new selections.  Among these rugs are Karaja, Gabbeh and Persian Qum.  Karaja is a village northwest of Iran. Karaja rugs often have geometric designs and feature repeating medallions, which gives them a unique distinction from other rugs made in northwestern Iran.  This particular rug is an antique, approximately 70 years old.

Antique Karaja 2ft 8in by 16ft 8in

A similar rug to the Karaja rug that Main Street Oriental Rugs also has in stock is a Sarab.  Sarab rugs are a type of Karaja rug that has a finer weave.  This Sarab is 2ft 5in by 13ft 6in.

This Gabbeh runner is one of the many runners in stock at Main Street Oriental Rugs.  Gabbeh rugs are traditionally triple-knotted rugs that are woven by the women of the Qashqai tribes of Iran.  They are usually thicker than other Persian rugs and tend to have simple rectangular designs.  They contain the natural colors of the wool or are dyed with natural dyes.  Gabbeh rugs have low knot counts compared to other Persian rugs.

Gabbeh 3ft by 13ft

Two more rugs that Main Street Oriental Rugs recently acquired are called Persian Qum.  Qum carpets are among the finest in the world. Although it does not boast a long and ancient history, Qum, south of Tehran, creates exceptional works of art, frequently in pure silk. Qum has no pattern unique to their city, so its carpets are produced in a variety of beautiful and historic designs, demanding prices in the highest range of all Persian weaving.  Although signatures are found on fine rugs made elsewhere, the weavers of Qum take enormous pride in their products.

Persian Qum 4ft 3in by 6ft 8in

Persian Qum 7ft 3in by 5ft 3in

Tabriz Oriental Rugs

Tabriz is the capital and the historical key city in Iranian Azerbaijan.  It has been an important weaving center from at least the fifteenth century onward.  It was the capital of the Safavi Dynasty for a period of time and fell to the Ottomans in 1534.  Today, the city of Tabriz continues to be an important place both economically and socially.

Tabriz carpets come in a wide variety of designs and are copied throughout the Orient because of their high quality weaves and designs.  One design a Tabriz rug can have is a Herati (fish pattern) motif.  The design consists of repeated flower heads bracketed by two serrate-edged leaves (a representation of one male, and two female fish).  Other designs possess intricate patterns that are usually arranged to give the delicate appearance of lacework.