Sarab
Sarab rugs originate in north-western Iran, in the province of
Azerbaijan, and are similar in many ways to Heriz rugs. The
people speak a dialect of Turkish, and their Turkish origin is
also reflected in The Design of their rugs, which are very
geometrical. They generally have cotton warps and wefts and a
wool pile. Small sizes are typical, generally about 1 m wide,
though runners up to 4 or 5 meters in length are also found. The
Designs are strongly geometric, and generally based on one or
more large elongated medallions in the middle of the
composition. The main colours are brown, red and cream.
Sarouk
Sarouk, one of the most famous names in Persian carpets, is a
tiny and obscure village to the northwest of Arak in the Markazi
or central province of Iran. In fact many villages in the Arak
area weave carpets. The most famous are Ferahan, Seraband and
Liliman. Other names associated with the area are Mahal and
Cheshmeh. The people are of mixed origin: Persian, Turkish,
Armenian and Georgian, resulting in a wide variety of designs,
techniques and sizes in the carpets of the region.
Serapi (Near Heriz)
Serapi is a broad term used to describe an antique Heriz that
was loomed in the late nineteenth century. These rugs are
usually much finer than the Heriz and have a medallion cantered
on a field that is more open with a broader design pattern than
the typical, traditional Heriz. The weaver generally used bold
colours that would contrast sharply within the design.
Savonnerie
The Savonnerie rug workshops were established in Paris by Pierre
DuPont in 1628 with the support and protection of Henry IV.
Initially orphans were apprenticed as weavers. Rugs were woven
on large vertical looms. A symmetric knot was used on linen
warps. Output of the workshops was for Royal Palaces, State
Gifts and Special Commissions. Designs were created under the
court artists. Designs consisted of naturalistic floral
arrangements, military motifs, heraldic references and some
architectural motifs. Some rugs were sculpted to accentuate
designs. The period of greatest productivity was 1650 to 1789,
when the French Revolution interrupted production. In 1825, the
workshops of Savonnerie were moved to Gobelins. To this day,
these majestic designs of this period are produced.
Seneh
Seneh or Sanadaj is the capital of the province of Kurdestan in
north-western Iran, and has around 300,000 inhabitants. Most of
the population are Kurds, of the Gurani Tribe. There is one
building of note, the Friday Mosque of the early nineteenth
century, plus a castle on a hill overlooking the town.
Seneh rugs are easily identifiable by their weave, design
colour and wool. They are mostly single-wafted, and the backs of
the carpets are often rough and gritty, since the wool is
tightly spun, by hand, prior to weaving. Occasionally a solid
Bijar-like weave is seen. The colours used are a characteristic
deep blue, green, dark red (used sparingly) and white. Seneh
wool is amongst the best wools in Iran: solid and hardwearing,
with a deep lustre, the result of the high altitude, sparse
vegetation, and extremes of temperature. The tribal weavers of
the area use the same sort of wool. In the nineteenth century
Seneh rugs were famous for their fineness and the variety of
designs, the modern production fewer fine and there is less
diversity: the typical Seneh rug has a field of Herati design,
with a series of geometric medallion, one inside the other, each
with a different ground colour but repeating the Design.
Occasionally the old all-over designs are still seen: the Boteh,
Vekilli, Gol-Farang (bunches of flowers drawn naturalistically
in the European style) or Gol-i-Bulbul (flower and bird).
shahsavan
The name Shahsavan means "protectors of the King" and refers to
the fact that this nomadic tribe guards one of Iran's most
remote and vulnerable frontiers, at Azerbaijan, where Iran meets
Russia and Turkey. The tribe weaves pile carpets but is most
famous for its Kilims which are made in a special technique
called Sumac or 'weft wrapping' the effect is similar to
embroidery, with stitches in various coloured wools going in
diagonal direction. The reverse of the pieces is always shaggy.
They are generally made in small sizes, up to 1½ sqm, though
runners of up to 2 m x 1 m are commonly found.
Shiraz
Shiraz is the capital of the southern province of Fars, and a
city of about one million people. It is famed as a city of roses
and nightingales, and the burial place of the poets Hafez and
Sa'adi. Most of the buildings, including several mosques, date
from the nineteenth century, and the tile-work has little of the
refinement seen in the earlier work at Isfahan. But the gardens,
with elongated pools flanked by cypresses, are famous throughout
Iran.
Shiraz gives its name to rugs, which are woven in the small
villages and towns, which surround it, brought into the city to
be sold. They are also made by some of the local tribes, such as
the Qashquai, whose best work is moreover more finely and
tightly knotted than those of Shiraz proper. Shiraz rugs are
characterised by a deep wine-red colour, combined with dark blue
and small areas of white and green. The wool is soft. Darker
wool, sometimes with an admixture of goat-hair, is used for the
warps and wefts. The Designs are coarse and geometric, often
similar to Qashquai designs. Often little geometric birds and
animals enliven them. Shiraz rugs are made in all sizes, though
large carpets are rare. Other weaving centres which come within
the general category of Shiraz are Arûsbaff, Asadbigy and
Bownat.
Shirvan (Kazak)
Rugs from the prolific carpet-weaving district of Shirvan have
characteristics of both 'Kazak' and 'Kuba' groups. The top ends
are not cut to form a fringe, and the bottom fringe is either
knotted or braided. Warp threads lie on one level, unlike the
stepped warps of most Kuba rugs. To the east, tribal rugs from
the foothills of Caucasus, such as those from Chajli, use a
typical Kazak motifs and geometric designs in clear bold
colours. There are many settled Armenian Christians in Shirvan
so rugs often have cruciform motifs as well as stylized animals
and Persian-influenced border patterns.
Shirvan also produces some fine kilims, in particular those
with broad bands of hooked medallions and others consisting of a
series of narrow bands of varying widths, often woven in a
chevron or arrowhead pattern. Large Shirvan 'band' kilims were
used as coverings for ox-drawn carts. Small flat weaving prayer
rugs were also made, with designs similar to those pile rugs.
SultanAbad (aka Arak)
Sultanabads are fine antique rugs with the most pleasing
decorative colours and designs. Many high quality rugs were
woven in this city and province in northwest Iran, known as
Arak. Most rug production took place in the late 19th century
when European companies commissioned large decorative rugs for
the European market.
Sumak
Sumak is a comparatively rare type of Kilim, deriving its name
from the old town of SHEMAKJA. Sumak is NOT a Kilim. However,
both have flat-woven style. Sumak has embroidered and its
embroidery threads are not cut off at the back. Sumak has a
shaggy, erratic collection of loose ends or strands of wool. The
wefts strands (serving a decorative role rather than the
structural role of knotted carpets) are threaded through a
number of warp strands and then looped back.
All Sumak have geometric pattern with many tribal motifs all
around. Usually the motifs are small birds. Sumak are excellent
with contemporary, traditional and modern decors.
