Fereydan Rug

Fereydan Rug
Design of Fereydan Rug (Rugman)
General information
Name	Fereydan Rug
Original name	قالی فریدن
Alternative name(s)	Fereydan Carpet
Origin	Iran: Isfahan
Category	Village
Technical information
Common designs	Vagireh
Common colors	Crismon, Navy Blue, White, Yellow, Green
Dyeing method	Natural, Synthetic
Pile material	Wool
Foundation material	Cotton
Knot type	Symmetrical (Turkish)

Fereydan rugs are hand woven in the Isfahan Province of central Iran. Fereydan rugs follow the symmetrical knots. The Fereydan rugs and carpets are woven in the semi-geometric, traditional Bakhtiari styles, with medallion, allover, pendant, or panel Garden designs.

History

Fereydan is a region located in the Isfahan Province of central Iran. It has a Georgian and Armenian population that was forcefully moved to this region during the Safavid Empire's occupation of the Caucasus region in the early seventeenth century.
The Bakhtiari tribe settled in this area and constitutes a large part of the Fereydan population. Rugs and carpets woven in this region—called "Fereydan-Bakhtiari"—are known in the market from the last quarter of the nineteenth century. During this period "Khan" carpets were produced and commissioned in Fereydan for officials and Khanate rulers. Some early rugs made by Armenian weavers with high-quality wool and coloration are called "Armeni Boft," which means "made by Armenians" in Farsi. Fereydan rugs and carpets are woven in the semi-geometric, traditional Bakhtiari styles, with medallion, allover, pendant, or panel Garden designs. The garden designs have Kheshti (square) or lozenge shapes in the field, with flowers, Shrub motifs, or trees.
The background and border colors are mainly strong reds, dark blues, or ivory. Additionally, shades of brown, gold, green, blue, and black are woven for the flowers and design elements. Dark brown or black is applied in design outlines.
The formats range from small bags to carpets in large room dimensions. The weaving quality is generally medium to good in grade. Early Fereydan carpets may have a wool foundation, but generally it is cotton with a wool pile. The Turkish (symmetric) knot is invariably utilized.
By the late twentieth century some Fereydan weavers switched from weaving traditional designs to styles similar to those of other regions in Iran in accordance with domestic and foreign export demand. These weavings may be marketed by the origin of design and color produced rather than the weaving location.

Bibliography

1. Abraham Levi Moheban. 2015. The Encyclopedia of Antique Carpets: Twenty-Five Centuries of Weaving. NewYork: Princeton Architectural Press.