Notes on Oriental Rugs and Persian Rugs by Barry O'Connell

Tabriz Rugs & Carpets the O'Connell Guide

Quality New Persian Tabriz Rugs and Carpets for Sale

If you wonder what other people are buying take a look at Top 10 Best Selling Persian Rugs. The consistent market leader for Internet sales are Tabriz Rugs. Tabriz has been a major production center for as far back as we have records. Certainly many of the worlds great carpets have been woven there. Today top carpet producers include Hamad-Mahdie Alabaf and Galibafi Nassadji Tabriz.

Tabriz Petag Carpet circa 1910 Lot 3060

Historically Iran or Persia is divided into four major regions. For most of the last 2500 years the dominant region has been either Tabriz or Khorasan. Tabriz is both a major city and the major city of Persian Azerbaijan. When I say Azerbaijan I must note that Azerbaijan extended up into the southern part of Georgia, Dagestan, Azerbaijan. While Tabriz is the center of a much reduced area it is still the second city of modern Iran.

Floral Medallion Tabriz Rugs

Tabriz Rugs: Tabriz Carpet C. 1920 Lot 1063

A Tabriz Carpet C. 1920 Lot 1063

Tabriz Rugs: Herati Pattern PETAG Tabriz Carpet C. 1900 Lot 78

A Herati Pattern PETAG Tabriz Carpet C. 1900 Lot 78

If you find a Persian city carpet made with Symmetric knot and a tight two level foundation then it is likely that it is a Tabriz carpet. Most Persian City carpets are made with a Persian knot. Tabriz has long been a very cosmopolitan center of Persian carpet weaving. So there is not a single or distinctive Tabriz style. The two major influences of the commercial era have been the native Persian traders and the Germans. PETAG or Persien Teppich AG was an innovative and aggressive marketer and producer of carpets in a number of cities but particularly in Tabriz.

PETAG

Tabriz Rugs: Tabriz Petag Carpet circa 1910 Lot 3060

Tabriz Rugs: "PETAG" Tabriz Persian Carpet Sotheby's

Tabriz Rugs: A Herati Pattern PETAG Tabriz Carpet C. 1900 Lot 78

All over repeat Tabriz Rugs

A Benlian Tabriz Carpet C. 1930 Lot 126

Tabriz Rugs: Silk Tabriz Prayer Rug C. 1900 Lot 104

A Silk Tabriz Prayer Rug C. 1900 Lot 104

Tabriz Silk Prayer Rug

A Tabriz Carpet C. 1880 Lot 221

Tabriz Rug, Tabriz proper and the Persian Azerbaijan, Iran.

Size: All sizes made up to 15 by 30

Structure: Symmetrical knot. 100 to 400 knots per square inch.

Yarn Spin: Z.

Warp: White cotton

Weft: 2 shots cotton.

Pile: 2 wool singles.

Ends:

Selvages: 1 cord plain wool.

Handle: Light - medium.

Further Notes: The best rugs of Tabriz stack up well against the best rugs of any rug made in Iran. The worst rugs of Tabriz are as bad as any. The part to watch is the back. On the low end Tabriz rugs the weavers can make a substantial rug with comparatively little wool. I remember Uncle Jimmy Keshishian describing one rug as "all back". On less expensive Tabriz Carpets it is important to make sure that there is substantial pile and that the foundation does not make up the whole rug.