A Palatial Bakhshayesh in Soft Tones

This palatial Heriz Bakhshayesh is one of the largest rugs you will encounter in the vintage trade — a generous 610 × 490 cm, almost 30 square metres of hand-knotted wool laid out in a quiet, sand-toned field. Woven in the 1960s in the village workshops above Heriz in north-west Iran, it carries the calm geometry of Bakhshayesh design with a palette that is, by Persian rug standards, refreshingly understated.

The Bakhshayesh Tradition

Bakhshayesh is a small town in the Heriz region whose weavers have always worked with a slightly looser, more painterly hand than their neighbours. Where standard Heriz rugs lean into bold rust-red medallions, Bakhshayesh allows space, irregularity and softer pigments. This piece is hand-knotted at approximately 160,000 knots per m² on a cotton foundation, with a full, even pile — a robust construction generous enough to age beautifully over decades. The drawing is classic Heriz: a stepped central medallion, corner spandrels, and a single main border, rendered in the easy, slightly geometric line the region is known for.

Colour and Composition

What makes this piece exceptional is the palette. Natural sand carries the field; a deep navy-blue main border and navy medallion frame anchor the composition; a warm terracotta medallion with a light-blue star centre forms the heart. Accents of light blue, coral and a muted peach run through the spandrels and the archaic scattered motifs in the field — columns, diamonds and small figural devices in the older Bakhshayesh manner. There is no shouting red; this is a Heriz designed to live in a contemporary interior.

A Vintage Bakhshayesh as an Investment

Palatial vintage Heriz carpets in full-pile, unrestored condition are a finite and appreciating category — pieces of this scale and quality are no longer woven in this register. A documented vintage of nearly 30 m² with original selvedges and fringes is both a furnishing and a tangible collector's asset and store of value, sold with a certificate of authenticity and full provenance documentation.

A Rug for Large, Considered Spaces

At nearly 30 square metres, this is a rug for genuinely architectural rooms. It suits a long dining hall seating twenty or more, a sprawling open-plan living space, a hotel lobby, a gallery, or any reception room where a single anchoring surface is wanted. The soft palette sits as well under modern furniture — cream linen, walnut, brushed brass — as in a classical setting. It is a piece that calms a room rather than competing with it.

Specifications

Responsible Sourcing · Label STEP

Djoharian is a Label STEP certified dealer. The international Label STEP foundation works to ensure fair wages, safe working conditions and the elimination of child labour across the handmade carpet trade.

Trust and Provenance

The Djoharian Collection is the in-house antique and designer line of Art Oriental, a family business founded in 1967 with roots in the Grand Carpet Bazaar of Tehran. We have been a verified seller on 1stDibs since 2013, hold a 5.0 / 5 rating across 18 reviews, and carry the platform's Recognized Dealer badge. Pieces from our collection have appeared in international film productions, including Spencer (2021) with Kristen Stewart.

Service and Delivery

Secure and fast worldwide shipping, fully insured. We provide full provenance documentation, a certificate of authenticity and aftercare advice. Viewing in our Lohr am Main showroom is welcome by appointment — for a piece of this scale, we recommend it.

Djoharian — Antique and Bespoke Oriental Rugs since 1967.