Provenance and Knotting Tradition

Qum (Ghom) is one of the youngest of the great Persian rug-knotting cities. Production began in earnest in the 1930s, when carpet producers from nearby Kashan set up workshops in Qum; by the 1960s the city had developed its own distinctive vocabulary of densely drawn floral medallion designs. Qum silk knotting is recognised as one of the most filigree disciplines in the entire Persian canon — thin, tear-resistant silk threads allow exceptionally small knots, so the most complex motifs can be drawn at full resolution.

This piece was hand-knotted in Qum, Iran, approximately 40 to 50 years ago, from 100% pure natural silk in pile, warp and weft, at a fine density of approximately 640,000 knots per m² (about 413 knots per inch²). Four decades of life have softened the silk lustre to a quieter, mellow glow — the piece is in excellent condition.

Colour and Composition

The design is a classical Qum floral medallion — a finely drawn central medallion on an open field densely filled with flowering vases, blossom sprays and small birds. The field ground is a deep coral-red dyed from pomegranate rind, a traditional natural dye; against it the drawing is worked in sage and olive green, soft blue, ivory and gold. A black-ground main border of repeating florets frames the field, flanked by olive-gold guard borders. The silk gives every element a shifting lustre that changes with the light.

Presence in the Room

At 155 × 108 cm (1.7 m², approx. 5 × 4 ft) this is a focused small format — a piece for considered placement and close looking. Three contexts in which it reaches its full effect:

• Bedside or beneath an armchair: the mellowed silk lustre rewards being close to daily life, in a personal, intimate space.
• Entrance or vestibule: a hero piece on the way into the home, signalling craftsmanship at first glance.
• Wall hanging as textile art: pure silk of this construction is as much at home on the wall as on the floor — the shifting light becomes part of the work.

Specifications

Responsible Origin · Label STEP

Djoharian is a certified partner of Label STEP, the international fair-trade organisation for hand-knotted rugs — a commitment to dignified working conditions and against child labour in rug production.

Djoharian — Since 1967

Our family business was founded in 1967, with roots in the Grand Carpet Bazaar of Tehran. Five decades of trade and connoisseurship inform every piece we offer — inspected and professionally washed in our atelier in Lohr am Main, shipped with a certificate of authenticity.