KASHAN CARPET

floor covering made of wool or silk and handwoven in or near the Iranian city of Kashan, long known for its excellent textiles. Three classes of all-silk carpets of the Safavid period (16th century) are credited to Kashan. The first includes three large extant carpets with medallion systems and varied hunting scenes that appear between centerpiece and corners. The two best known of these are counted among the world's finest carpets. The second class is represented by more than a dozen small carpets with silken pile and prominent red coloration. Most have medallion designs; four have rows of isolated animal figures or animals in combat. Members of the third class are not pile carpets but rather silken kilims, in tapestry weave of exceptional delicacy, frequently with bits of metal enhancing certain colours to provide sparkle. The designs of several include human or angelic figures. It is thought that a number of silk Polish carpets were also made in 17th-century Kashan. From the 17th through the 19th century, nothing is known of Kashan carpets, but with the dawn of the 20th century there arose a large commercial production of pile carpets in both wool and silk. These new carpets rank among the best Persian products, with some of the most sophisticated designs, consisting of sleek medallions, curving, blossom-laden vine work, and repeats of vases with flowers. With Kerman and Tabriz, Kashan has been the principal source for the collector of special piecespersonage rugs, symbolic rugs, and ornate prayer rugsotherwise unusual in Iran. Kashan carpets are Senna (Sehna) knotted on silk or cotton foundations, depending upon the fibre of the pile. Most of the dye in recent carpets has been European.