KERMAN CARPET

Kerman also spelled Kirman, floor covering handwoven in or about the city of Kerman in southern Iran, which has been the origin since the 16th century of highly sophisticated carpets in well-organized designs. To this city is now generally attributed a wide variety of 16th- and 17th-century carpets, including Vase carpets; rugs with rows of shrubs; arabesque carpets; the finest of the Garden carpets; and, on the basis of constructional similarities, a group of medallion carpets with animals. All of these had Sehna knotting on cotton warps, with stiff, heavy woollen weft pulled straight and silk or cotton wefts between, left relatively slack. The result is a double-warped carpet, the warps of one level lying almost directly behind their neighbours. The colour schemes are among the richest and most varied found in Persian carpets. Although Vase carpets apparently continued to be made in the 18th century, in general there ensued a long period of quiescence, such as occurred in other Persian centres. A revival of carpet weaving became noticeable toward the end of the 19th century, and Kerman rapidly developed into one of the most important carpet industries in Persia. Late 19th- and 20th-century Kerman carpets have presented a kaleidoscope of successive styles and fashions. Tours de force created include copies of French paintings, architectural scenes with mosques and minarets, and symbolic and personage rugs such as were also made at Kashan and Tabriz. In many recent carpets, based to a degree upon French carpet patterns, the border design is allowed to burgeon out into the field or exists only as a Rococo frame for the carpet. The trend has also turned toward cream shades for the ground. The foundation is now all cotton, but the knotting is still Sehna. It has been a practice of dealers to use the term KermanLavere, after the weaving village of Ravar in the district, for examples considered choice. Kermanshah carpets, made in the distant city previously of that name (renamed Bakhtaran), were woven in the style of those produced in Kerman and often sold as Kerman carpets.