Herati Pattern

The Herati pattern is found in rugs from around the country, although almost all rug producing countries have made this design one time or the other. It is probably one of the most famous designs. It derives from the town of Herat, now in Afghanistan but once part of the Persian Empire.

A very common repeat field design consisting of a flower centered in a diamond with curving lanceolate or sickle leaves located outside the diamond and parallel to each side. The sickle leaves sometimes have the appearance of fish. There are many versions of the Herati pattern, curvilinear and geometric, simple and complex.¹