From Chenar to Tafresh (West - East) and Zanjan to Lilihan (North - South) we see hundreds of villages that produce handwoven rugs around the ancient city of Hamadan. While every village deserves its recognition for the unique designs, materials and various skills in weaving, most often these villages get lumped together due to location of trading centers, lack of knowledge or possibly to simplify business as normal. Whatever the reason may be, Hamadan is a huge category of rugs that often share one or many characteristics from village to village.
The most common characteristic of Hamadan rugs is the construction of the foundation, which consists of cotton warps (fringe on ends) and one cotton weft that runs from one side of the rug to the other in between each row of knots. This is called the Hamadan Weave or Single-Wefted. With all this said, there are always exceptions such as Shahrbaft in the center of the city of Hamadan that started producing Sarouq-like carpets that are double-wefted.
Many villages around Hamadan use similar dyes, both natural and synthetic but the color outcomes may vary from area to area. Some villages clip the wool pile high while others clip it short. Motifs (symbols) are very common in the borders, spandrels (corners of field), fields and even in medallions. Motifs such as flowers, botehs as well as other plants and animals can vary, not just from village to village but from one weaver to another. All these differences as well as different design styles makes every rug a truly unique work of art. Here are some different village designs and variations to similar designs below.
Above: Village of Chenar
Below: Village of Vordoveh
Above: Village of Hosseinabad
Below: Village of Nahavand
Above: Village of Zanjan
Below: Village of Bibi-Kabad
Above: Khamseh, Hamadan Area
Below: Village of Enjilas
Above: Village of Kerdar
Below: Village of Rudbar
Above: Village of Tafresh
Below: Village of Lilihan
The rugs above are only a few examples of the many villages around the city of Hamadan that produce rugs. Hamadan rugs cover a large weaving area but individual villages will always have their own techniques and inherited interpretation of the motifs they weave in their art. Over time, some of these details may be lost and certainly are in their long travels to the western side of the world. We're always trying to re-examine our rugs and pass on as much detail about the area that they originate from, as our Passion for Persia exists through the handwoven rugs we use and love.
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