Bidjar rug

Bidjar rug
from western Persia
later 19th century
Size: 213 x 122 cm

A predominantly Kurdish market town in western Persia, Bidjar has had a long association with rug making. Even though many large carpets were made here and in the surrounding villages, cartoons were not used. Knotting designs was from memory or by using knotted samplers known as wagireh.
Bidjar carpets are of typically robust construction where the foundation woollen warps and wefts are densely packed to give the carpets a ‘stiff’ handle.
The composition of this rug comprises a central diamond pendant medallion on a plain camel field, with a curled leaf herati motif at its centre. A completely different border pattern is used in each half of the rug, a most unusual feature.