789. an enveloping old Lilian Persian carpet

789. Provenance: Lilian/Lilihan, western Persia/Iran

Age: Circa 1950

Size: 350 x 227 cm

Condition: Good with one end just a bit lighter than the other (though not as obvious as in the picture, due to differences in lighting at each end).

Notes: Close to their cousins, Hamadan rugs and Sarouks, these are also woven in the 'single wefted' Hamadan technique. They are the only products from the Sultanabad area using this method, and are tightly 'flat-woven' using a single heavy cotton weft and thick, first quality wool, making them extremely durable. They have softer colours than most Sarouks and Hamadans, and were extrememly popular in America in the latter parts of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This floral design and colouring are somewhat typical, and they make extremely versatile and hard-wearing furnishing rugs.