Hamadan Rug

As the Kurds were displaced and dispersed throughout the Middle East, nomadic tribes imitated the weaving styles of the people living in the area where they arrived, but Kurdish weaving tends to be coarser in comparison to that of the already settled inhabitants. Kurdish rugs like this one are called Hamadans, referring to the oldest royal city in Iran, which was at one time the most prolific weaving center in the region. These rugs are almost always approximately 4½ by 6½ feet in size and made of mixed wool, including goat’s hair. This rug’s plant-dyed field shows dramatic striation and includes five rows of twelve botahs, referred to in western countries as paisley. Kurdish rugs are historically difficult to interpret, and it is unclear why the weaver chose to include only five rows of this design and place them off-center. The four indigo-dyed corners lead to three framing borders of varying abstract geometric and floral designs. The tactile qualities of this rug are comparable to that of a soft animal pelt with an exquisite sheen derived in part from the wool and dyes used to make it.