This Antique Rug Dark Salmon on Dark Beige is a Hand knotted Mahi area rug and a true one-of-a-kind work of art. Persian rugs are known as some of the best area rugs in the world.This Persian rug is made with 100% Wool pile,a 100% Cotton foundation. The KPSI is 52 for this Persian rug;it took 47 days to weave and is in Excellent Vintage Enhanced condition.
The Mahi, from the city of Tabriz, is one of the most elegant carpets in the world. It shows very small silk-lined fish, almost a paisley pattern, scattered neatly throughout the many borders and medallions of the carpet. The tiny flowers and border details are also outlined in silk, and the wool is usually of the finest 'Kurk'. The magic of a Mahi, especially in the higher KPSI, is in the subtle color ranges of each piece, from beiges to brown, black or navy to grey, and every shade of green. This incredible symphony of color in each carpet allows it to blend easily into the the most challenging interior, giving the Mahi its nickname of 'the Designer's carpet'. They do not show their true beauty on the internet, perhaps due to the extremely small scale of the design.
Arak, formerly known as Sultanabad, is an important rug producing city in Iran. Arak is located in the province of Markaz in the north-west of Iran, just south of the province of Zanjan. The towns of Ferahan, Lylyan and Mahallat, as well as some of the more prominent neighbouring towns are Jozan, Malayer, Meshkabad, Mirabad, Sarough, Seraband, with many small Kurdish villages, encompass Arak. All the rugs produced in these areas are marketed in Arak. Strong Kurdish influences can be seen on the weaving style, as well as traces of Turkish ancestry. Ziegler’s, a Machester firm, opened its first office in Arak in 1883, originally as an importer. After realizing the international potential, they started a rug factory in Arak to create exports for Europe and the USA. By the 20th century, over 2500 looms were estimated to be under control of Ziegler in Arak. The Mahallat produces very high quality Mahals, and Sarough produces exquisite pieces. Lylyans have a tribal look to them which is typical from smaller rug producing villages. Ferahans and Serabands are distinguishable by their high quality weave and rich history. Mirabad also produces rugs of high quality known as Mir. The pile, typically vegetable dyed wool, is hand-spun from the weaver’s own sheep, and woven using the Persian asymmetrical knot. Silk is rare in modern pieces, but more common in older rugs. A wool-silk combination is used on occasion. The foundations are typically cotton, and sometimes goat hair.