Persian Carpet Weaving

The sources below offer a wide range of information on Persian carpets in both historical and contemporary contexts.

Chahardoli, Zohreh, et al. “Twentieth Century Iranian Carpets: Investigation of Red Dye Molecules and Study of Traditional Madder Dyeing Techniques.” Heritage Science, vol. 7, no. 57, 2019, pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-019-0288-4

This article examines the production, dissemination, and significance of the color red in Persian rugs created during the 20^th century. Carpet production of this period saw an introduction of synthetic dyes, but traditional dyeing recipes were also common–most notably, “madder,” a derivative of qarehqurut, an Iranian dairy product. Chahardoli argues that Iran’s success in producing carpets is predicated on artists’ continuation of traditional dyeing techniques like madder.

“Edward Said – Framed: The Politics of Stereotypes in News.” YouTube, uploaded by Al Jazeera English, 2 March 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QYrAqrpshw

This video overviews the theory of Orientalism, its creator Edward Said, and how Orientalist stereotypes are maintained today through news, narratives, and art. Understanding the stereotypes perpetrated by Orientalism is crucial to deconstruct the title “Oriental” rug.

Erdbrink, Thomas. “The Persian Rug May Not Be Long for This World.” The New York Times, 26 May 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/27/world/middleeast/end-of-an-art-form-the-persian-rug-may-not-be-long-for-this-world.html. Accessed 27 Nov. 2020.

This feature article paints a picture of current-day carpet production in Iran. Many elements of carpet production remain the same as they did hundreds of years ago, yet much has also changed. Though the U.S. lifted six-year-long sanctions on Iranian-made carpets in 2016, the international demand for the complex, labor-intensive rugs continues to diminish in favor of cheaper, quickly-made replicas from other Asian countries. Erdbrink further describes the carpet-making process from beginning to end, from the nomadic shepherds of the Qashqai and Bakhtiari tribes to the markets in Shiraz.

“Falling Into a Rug: Some Notes on Imagination and the Artifact.” Peter Balakian Interviews & Commentary, https://www.peterbalakian.com/orientalrug.html. Accessed 27 Nov. 2020.

In this blog post, Armenian poet Peter Balakian discusses the inspiration behind his poem, “The Oriental Rug.” He notes how happy memories of his childhood converge with the immense suffering of the Armenian Genocide. Though Persian rugs may be largely associated with Iran, Persian art and culture extended far beyond modern-day country borders. Balakian discusses how he feels connected to the organic aliveness of Persian rugs and how he can sense the weavers’ deliberate hands weaving at the loom, knotting the ends, and crushing the dyes.

Helfgott, Leonard. “Carpet Collecting in Iran, 1873-1883: Robert Murdoch Smith and the Formation of the Modern Persian Carpet Industry.” Muqarnas, vol. 7, 1990, pp. 171-181

The author details the life and business of one of the most well-known British collectors of Iranian art during the 19^th century. Under a commission, Rupert Murdoch Smith brought artifacts from Iran back to the South Kensington royal museum. Helfgott greatly exaggerates his influence, claiming that Smith single-handedly created a demand for Iranian rugs in the West. The author also acknowledges that Smith unethically removed revered religious items and lobbied the Iranian courts to avoid consequences. Many of the objects stolen by Smith can still be viewed at the Victoria & Albert Museum today.

Leamy, Elisabeth. "Looking for a Persian Rug? New Trump Sanctions Could Make That Difficult." The Washington Post, 26 June 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/no-iran-nuclear-deal-no-persian-rugs/2018/06/25/b149ce14-7400-11e8-805c-4b67019fcfe4_story.html (Links to an external site.). Accessed 19 Oct. 2020.

This article discusses the most recent trade sanctions impacting Iranian carpet makers and dealers. Despite the roughly $153 million made up by U.S. Persian rug dealers in 2016 and 2017, the industry predicts unsurmountable losses which will be felt most directly by the Iranian nomadic tribes and artisans who rear the sheep, shear the wool, and weave the looms.

Maktabi, Hadi. "Under the Peacock Throne: Carpets, Felts, and Silks in Persian Painting, 1736-1834." Muqarnas, vol. 26, no. 1, 2009, pp. 318-347

This article examines the Persian carpet from the lens of Safavid paintings. Felt carpets, or namads, were not strictly limited to royals or the cultural elite but were also used by nomads and working-classes. Namads were, and still are, central to the Iranian home, entertainment, and culture. Safavid paintings demonstrate a strict hierarchy to carpet arrangements. In portraits of Nadir Shah, viewers can see mats and coarser fabrics on the bottom, and more precious and intricate namads on the top.

Roth, Rodris. “Oriental Carpet Furniture: A Furnishing Fashion in the West in the Late Nineteenth Century.” Studies in the Decorative Arts, vol. 11, no. 2, 2011, pp. 25-48

This article discusses the popularity of Persian rugs in the United States and Europe during the 19^th century. Roth draws an important distinction between actual Asian furniture styles and the terms Europeans assigned them. For example, large overstuffed sofas were called “Turkish” no matter what fabric covered them. Likewise, decorative patterned rugs were called “Oriental” no matter where in Asia the piece originated. Roth chalks this up to the Orientalist view of “Oriental” life as leisurely, relaxed, and inclined for lounging.

Rudner, Martin. “The Modernization of Iran and the Development of the Persian Carpet Industry: The Neo-Classical Era in the Persian Carpet Industry, 1925-45.” Iranian Studies, vol. 44, no. 1, 2011, pp. 49-76

During the 1920s, international demand for Iranian carpets surged only to be followed by the global economic depression of the 1930s and Soviet-British occupation of Iran in the 1940s. This article describes the revival of Persian carpets within Iran during foreign occupation and emphasizes how they remained distinctive cultural products within the newly-emerging Iranian elite. Rudner emphasizes that an art form shouldn’t be considered “in decline” just because international demand drops. Rather, because of the diminished global demand during the mid-20^th century, the role of the Persian carpet became magnified as crucial to some Iranian’s cultural identity.