Wool & Silk Persian Rug 7.7 x 5.1 ft (230 X 154 cm)

Persian Isfahan Rug

Shah Abbas the Great was an inspired King of the Safavid dynasty, and in consequence not only moved the capital of Persia to Isfahan from Qazvin but also started an artistic renaissance within the capital of his court. Under his vision and guidance carpet weaving in Isfahan flourished. However, the Afghan invasion dealt a serious blow to this industry which it never recovered from until the beginning of the 20th century. Some early pieces created in the last century can be found which consist of 500.000 knots-1.000.000 knots/m2, however, these are rare and few in number. World War I brought a change in “modern” Isfahan which was the center of weaving for the fashion industry of Iran. The change in fashion in the world also influenced Iran, causing Isfahan to lose its lucrative fabric industry. However, the shrewd businessman of Isfahan decided to utilize the fine quality wool in fabrics and Abas into high-quality Persian rugs which again reestablished Isfahan as a base for one of the finest and most beautiful carpets of Iran.