Hamadan carpet

During the first half of the twentieth century, rugs from the area of Hamadan in west Persia were some of the favorite smaller pieces imported and used in American homes. These rugs often render classic Persian forms, such as medallions with corner-pieces or lattice designs, in a simple village aesthetic using a happy palette of colors. This over-sized Hamadan carpet is more of an anomaly. A piece with such dimensions was likely made for export, but nevertheless retains a distinct local west Persian flavor. A classic Persian central medallion with corner-pieces is drawn in deep indigo using the ‘Herati pattern’ of interchanging leaves, palmettes, and blossoms within a lattice. These devices float against an extraordinary field, composed in camel and cream, tracing an all-over latch-hook in diamond design originating from traditional tribal flat-weaves. With the addition of a palmette border derived from classical Safavid models and drawn spaciously with fabulous scale, this piece represents a culmination of village, tribal, and urban weaving traditions.