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Persian Rugs the O'Connell Notes

Heriz Rugs and Carpets Guide

Heriz Rugs Richard Rothstein

Heriz Carpet From Richard Rothstein & Co.

Heriz Rugs are produced in the villages of the slopes of Mount Sabalan. Kuhya-ye-Sabalan is Iran's second tallest Volcano second only to Mount Damavand. Mount Sabalan is 15,784 feet at the summit.

In the 18th Century Shia Moslems in the Caucasus were driven south by the Russian advances. Mount Sabalan attracted many villages from the north. It was also the summer pastures of the Moghan/Sabalan Shahsavan.

Antique Persian Heriz Rug Nazmiyal 44802
Style: Heriz-Serapi Rug Origin: Persian Rugs Size: 6 ft 5 in x 8 ft 6 in (1.96 m x 2.59 m)
Relatively few Antique Heriz Rug are in traditional rug sizes (7 by 10 feet or smaller). The smallest common size for Antique Persian Heriz Rugs is 8 by 11 feet and many are substantially larger. Their size, origin, and history of the region has cause me to to believe that Heriz rugs are the direct descendants of the great Caucasian Dragon rugs.

(picturesof Mt. Sabalan left and below (ISNA) from www.Iran_Daily.com )

The Heriz rug is now the Iron Rug of Iran. Heriz are thick, tough, and often inexpensive rugs that appeal strongly to the US market. The Heriz rug is produced in the Northwest corner of Iran on and around Mount Sabalan. Part of the reason for the toughness of Heriz carpets is that Mount Sabalan is sitting on a major deposit of Copper. Trace copper in the drinking water of the sheep produces the highest quality of rug wool. The copper makes the wool stronger and far more resilient than wool from most other areas.

Heriz rugs include rugs from the towns of Ahar, Heriz, Mehraban, Sarab, Serapi, Bakhshaish, and Gorevan.

Another factor is the rugs coarse construction. I have heard that Gorevan Heriz can be as course as 25 kpsi but in my experience 30 KPSI is the low end of the normal range to 100 - 110 KPSI on the high end.

A common mistake is to assume that because Gorevan is the coarsest it must be the least desirable. Gorevan is the coarsest because it uses heavier wefts and warps and because they use multiple singles in the same knot. As we can see in the image to the left four strands or singles may be used in one knot. This makes a wonderfully durable rug.

Are finely knotted rugs better than others?

Left; 4 singles in one Turkish Knot in a Heriz Rug.

Antique Bakshaish Carpet

Notes on Bakshaish Rugs and Carpets

Notes on Serab and Serapi Rugs and Carpets

Guide to Heriz Silk Rugs & Carpets

The great German rug expert Heinrich Jacoby described a difference in size pre-1880 and post-1880. In the pre-1880 period Jacoby suggests that the most common size was 6 feet 6 inches by 13 feet. This length equals twice width seems typical in that period before the massive commercial export period. Long and narrow was in keeping with the needs of the Persian buyer. After 1880 production shifted to European sizes. Starting with 6 meter rugs (6 feet 7 inches by 9 foot 10 inches) they were made in sizes typically up to 16 foot 6 inch by 26 feet. Jacoby, Heinrich. How To Know Oriental Rugs and Carpets

Serapi carpet late 19th C. Lot 5010

Sarab Rugs Serapi Rugs and Carpets

Somepeople like the name Serapi and others most strenuously object. Serapi is a corruption of Serabi and Serab is the old name for the Heriz District. Sotheby's New York does not use the name while Sotheby's London regularity sells Serapi rugs.

I discuss this in greater depth in Notes on Serab and Serapi Rugs and Carpets