Tabriz rug
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A Tabriz rug/carpet is a type in the general category of
Persian carpet A Persian carpet ( fa, فرش ایرانی, translit=farš-e irâni ) or Persian rug ( fa, قالی ایرانی, translit=qâli-ye irâni ),Savory, R., ''Carpets'',(Encyclopaedia Iranica); accessed January 30, 2007. also known as Iranian ...
s from the city of
Tabriz Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...
, the capital city of
East Azarbaijan Province East Azerbaijan Province ( fa, استان آذربایجان شرقی ''Āzarbāijān-e Sharqi''; az-Arab, شرقی آذربایجان اوستانی) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is located in Iranian Azerbaijan, bordering Armenia, ...
in north west of
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. It is one of the oldest rug weaving centers and makes a huge diversity of types of carpets. The range starts at Bazaar quality of 24 raj (Number of knots per 7 cm of the widths of the rug) and on up to the incredibly fine 110 raj. Raj is the unit of knot density. It shows the rigidity of the rug which based on the number of strings used for the foundation of the rug. Strings materials are usually made of cotton or silk which is used for very fine rugs. Tabriz has one of the most diverse displays of designs from medallion, Herati/Mahi, to figural, pictorial, and even 3-d shaped rugs. The major producers in Tabriz today include: Alabaf of Tabriz, Galibafi Nassadji Tabriz, and Miri Brothers. Tabriz has been a large and worldwide famous carpet making center in the Iran and the world. It played a significant role in development the rich traditions of the decorative and applied arts. The art of Tabriz carpet was in its zenith in the 12th-16th centuries. About 200 Tabriz school masterpieces of the classical or "golden" period of the 14th century are characterized by a harmonic merge of the arts of miniature paintings and weaving, by a high level of craftsmanship demonstrated by artists and carpet weavers. The Tabriz school can be divided into 2 subgroups: Tabriz and Ardabil.


Ardabil carpets

" Ardabil", "Sheikh Safi", "Sarabi", "Shah Abbasi" and "Mir".


Tabriz carpets

"Tabriz", "Heris", "Lachak-turanj", "Afshan", " Aghajly", "Dord Fasil", "Sardorud".


Tabriz

Different types of carpets were made here, including pile and flat-weave, with simple and complex composition. The carpet making art was passed on from generation to generation and was considered the most valued heirloom. The traditional topics for the Tabriz carpets are the ornamental patterns, with the following dominant background colors: cream, red or navy blue. The most typical for this school are rugs and carpets grouped under the common name “Lachak turanj”. In the middle of the center field and in the corners of the carpet (“lachak”)( ''triangle'') there are “turanj”( ''
Citron The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the original citrus fruits from which all other citrus types developed throu ...
''). The turanj in the center of the carpet is a symbol of the Moon, and the pattern formed by lozenges with the toothed leaves on the edges symbolizes the scales of the fish, which rise to the surface of the water at midnight to admire the Moon reflection. The origin of this composition dates back to the 9th-10th centuries. Often the topics for the Tabriz carpets are drawn from the works of the great Oriental poets. The carpets often depict the scenes of falconry or images of a ferocious lion. Well known are also Tabriz carpet-pictures with images of fragments of palaces and mosques, scenes of battles. Often, in creation of this or that ornamental pattern carpet weavers were inspired by the hand-painted covers of ancient books.


Heris

The name of these carpets is associated with the village of
Heris Heris ( fa, هريس; also Romanized as Herīs and Harīs; also known as Hiriz) is a city and capital of Heris County, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 9,513, in 2,359 families. Heris is the center of one of ...
or Herez to the North East of Tabriz. The stylistic decoration of the “Heris” carpets is rather unusual. The composition and common shapes of the details are created on the basis of the composition “lachak turanj”, which is formed by the foliate curve-linear patterns. However, with time the patterns of this composition became dotted and created an independent carpet pattern. Normally, the carpet was woven from memory, without a sketch. There is not surprising because since the beginning of the 16th century till the present day the craftsmen in Heris have traditionally been making only this type of carpet, and they know perfectly well its design and pattern. Note that the residents of Heris are also renowned for production of flat-weave rugs – palases and kilims.


Four seasons

The “Dord fasil” (“Four Seasons” in Azerbaijani) is famous in Azerbaijan and other parts of Iran. The carpets of this type combine ancient elements of the decorative art, traditional symbolism dating back to the spiritual conceptions of the early farming age, and religious scenes. Each of the four parts of the carpet field is independent in terms of its composition. It depicts scenes of each season and represents the images of the peasants’ way of life. Autumn pictures: harvesting, tillage and sowing. Winter images: the peasants sweep the snow off the roofs, whip up the loaded donkeys to the village, in the foreground there is a worker with a spade offering his services while the background depicts the masterpiece of the Azerbaijani architecture of the 15th century – the “ Blue Mosque” in Tabriz. The spring landscape is woven in vivid colors: trees in bloom, a shepherd with a flock of sheep, a girl listening to the sounds of his reed-pipe, and an old man with a tobacco pipe, talking to a peasant. The summertime picture: harvesting, women and children bind sheaves and take them off the field. The background shows a camelcade. Despite the independence of each of the scenes, they are unified in terms of composition and style. The illusion of space is achieved through the three-plane reproduction of the topic motifs. The dominating colors are of golden and red hues, which help to ensure a common rhythm.


Trees or Tree of Life

It is their composition that gave the name to these carpets rather than the place of production. In other parts of Iran, these carpets are widely known under the name of “Derakhti”, in Afghanistan “Bagghi” and in Azerbaijan “Agajly”. The composition of the center field the “Agajly” carpet consists largely of one or several trees and bushes, in rare cases – of a cluster of trees. The trees are of different appearance. In ancient times such compositions were based on some legendary events, love scenes, mythological and sometimes even religious and fanatical plots. The weeping
willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...
was a symbol of love, the
oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
represented strength and courage, and the
pomegranate The pomegranate (''Punica granatum'') is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows between tall. The pomegranate was originally described throughout the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean re ...
personified abundance and luck. This type of design is used in Qum, Tabriz, Isfahan, Kashan


Subject carpets

While the carpets with abstract patterns obviously prevail, there were subject carpets as well. The most ancient of them is mentioned by Nizami, the outstanding Iranian poet of the 12th century, whose work served as an inexhaustible source of inspiration not only for numerous miniature painters but for the carpet art as well. One of the most ancient subject carpets was the
Sasanid The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
carpet called “Zimistan” (Winter), which was taken by the Arabs as a trophy after the devastation of the Sasanid empire. Contrary to its name, this carpet is said to depict spring landscapes. It was called “Winter” because it was laid in the palace during wintertime and its vivid patterns brightened the winter interior with the luxuriant colors of the gardens and fields in bloom. Perhaps Khosrov Parviz, the Sasanid King, reminisced about spring when looking at this carpet in winter. Seasons constitute the most favorite carpet subjects. Normally, they form the background for the famous Oriental buildings, including forts, palaces, mosques, temples – the Nature blossoms and withers but the stones remain intact… Khosrau,
Farhad Farhad ( fa, فرهاد ''farhād''), also spelt Ferhaad or Ferhod, has been a Persian name for men since the Parthians, first recorded for Arsacid kings circa 170 BC. Etymology Modern Persian name ''Farhād'' () is derived from Middle Persian '' ...
,
Shirin Shirin ( fa, شیرین; died 628) was a Christian wife of the Sasanian King of Kings (''shahanshah'') Khosrow II (). In the revolution after the death of Khosrow's father Hormizd IV, the General Bahram Chobin took power over the Persian empire. ...
, Bahrām Gōr, Iskander,
Layla and Majnun ''Layla & Majnun'' ( ar, مجنون ليلى ; Layla's Mad Lover) is an old story of Arab origin, about the 7th-century Bedouin poet Qays ibn al-Mulawwah and his ladylove Layla bint Mahdi (later known as Layla al-Aamiriya). "The Layla ...
– these characters created by
Ferdosi , image = Statue of Ferdowsi in Tus, Iran 3 (cropped).jpg , image_size = , caption = Statue of Ferdowsi in Tus by Abolhassan Sadighi , birth_date = 940 , birth_place = Tus, Samanid Empire , death_date = 1019 or 1025 (87 years old) , de ...
, Nizami and Fizuli, as well as scenes from their poems are often depicted in the carpets, whose style reminds you of the miniatures by the painters of the celebrated Tabriz school flourishing at the time of the
Safavids Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...
. The subject carpets were based on various topics, the most favorite being those of hunting and animals, literature plots and religious themes. One of the traditional subjects is the image of
Omar Khayam Ghiyāth al-Dīn Abū al-Fatḥ ʿUmar ibn Ibrāhīm Nīsābūrī (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131), commonly known as Omar Khayyam ( fa, عمر خیّام), was a polymath, known for his contributions to mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, an ...
with his sweetheart. By virtue of the specific language of the miniature painting the carpet composition conveys the spirit and essence of Khayam’s poetry, and it does it with a great realistic force. The carpet bears the distichs and quatrains – verses and sections from the poems by
Ferdosi , image = Statue of Ferdowsi in Tus, Iran 3 (cropped).jpg , image_size = , caption = Statue of Ferdowsi in Tus by Abolhassan Sadighi , birth_date = 940 , birth_place = Tus, Samanid Empire , death_date = 1019 or 1025 (87 years old) , de ...
, Saadi,
Hafez Khwāje Shams-od-Dīn Moḥammad Ḥāfeẓ-e Shīrāzī ( fa, خواجه شمس‌‌الدین محمّد حافظ شیرازی), known by his pen name Hafez (, ''Ḥāfeẓ'', 'the memorizer; the (safe) keeper'; 1325–1390) and as "Hafiz", ...
, Sheikh Attar, with some sage maxims and adages about love. Samples of Tabriz carpet: Image:«Бахшайыш».jpg, Bakhshayish carpet. 19th century. Image:TCarpet2.jpg, A sample of rugs woven near Tabriz Image:Farsh tabriz.JPG, A Tabriz carpet with a fish design medallion Image:The_Bazar_at_Tabriz.jpg, A carpet-selling alley in
Tabriz Bazaar The Bazaar of Tabriz ( fa, بازار تبریز, also Romanized as ''Bāzār-e Tabriz'') is a historical market situated in the city center of Tabriz, Iran. It is one of the oldest bazaars in the Middle East and the largest covered bazaar in th ...
.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tabriz Rug Iranian culture Persian rugs and carpets Tabriz