Provenance and Knotting Tradition

Karaja is a village in the Heriz weaving district of East Azerbaijan province in north-western Iran, between Tabriz and Ahar — only a short distance south of the Aras river, which today forms the border with the Caucasus. Karaja weaving belongs to the wider Heriz family, yet it has a character of its own: smaller formats, a crisp geometric drawing and a clear affinity for Caucasian-looking medallions. The village’s own classic layout — several medallions in a row — can be seen in our vintage Karaja rug with three medallions.

This piece was hand-knotted around 1950 in wool on a cotton foundation, with the symmetrical (Turkish) knot used throughout the region, at a density of approx. 250,000 knots per m² (approx. 160 kpsi).

The Eagle Design: A Pattern That Crossed the Border

The design is known under several names: Chelaberd (also written Chelabird or Tschelaberd), Eagle Kazak or Sunburst Kazak. It comes from Karabakh in the southern Caucasus, where it was woven around the village of Chelaberd from the late 19th century onwards. Despite the trade name “Kazak”, it is a Karabakh pattern; the radiating ivory arms around a dark, cross-shaped centre reminded Western dealers of an eagle with spread wings.

How does a Karabakh design reach a Heriz village? Persian Azerbaijan and the Caucasus were long one cultural space. Until the treaties of Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828), Karabakh and much of the southern Caucasus belonged to Persia; only then did the Aras become a border. On both banks people speak Azerbaijani Turkish, knot with the same symmetrical knot and share much of the same motif vocabulary, and Tabriz was the great market where rugs from both regions changed hands. Weavers, traders and their patterns moved across the river, and designs that sold well on one side were taken up on the other. In Karaja the Eagle was redrawn in the local idiom and on a cotton foundation — yet it remains a rare design in Heriz-district production, where most pieces follow their own medallion types.

Colour and Composition

Two eagle medallions stand one above the other on a warm rust-red to copper field: the upper one with a dark green and indigo centre, the lower one in light blue, both surrounded by ivory radiating arms with red and blue tips. The main border runs in indigo and light blue with small rosettes, framed by narrow ivory and brown guard stripes.

The colours show a lively abrash — the natural shifts in tone that occur when wool is dyed in separate batches — most visible in the border, which moves from deep brown into indigo blue. Seven decades of use have given the surface a soft patina.

Presence in the Room

At 135 × 225 cm (4.4 × 7.4 ft, 3.0 m²) this is a medium-size piece. Three contexts in which it comes into its own:

• Study or library: in front of a desk or beneath a reading chair, the graphic eagle medallions give the room a clear focal point.
• Bedroom: alongside the bed, the warm field and the abrash bring colour and depth to a quiet room.
• Contemporary living room: the bold, almost modern drawing pairs well with clean-lined furniture, oak, leather and raw plaster. More pieces for this setting: living room rugs.

Specifications

Djoharian — Since 1967

With roots in the Grand Carpet Bazaar of Tehran and more than five decades of experience in the international rug trade, Djoharian has specialised in antique, tribal and designer rugs since 1967. Djoharian is a Label STEP certified dealer for fair-trade knotted rugs (new production). On 1stDibs we have been a verified seller since 2013 with the “Recognized Dealer” badge. Our pieces have also been featured in international film productions, including Spencer (2021).

Service and Delivery

Every piece is expertly inspected in our atelier in Lohr am Main before dispatch. For expert washing and repair we offer our own professional rug cleaning service. We offer secure and fast worldwide shipping, fully insured, and personal consultation in our showroom or by video call.