Feraghan Kelleh

Feraghan carpets were designed for a regional aristocratic clientele, the Feraghan region of west central Persia developed a distinctive carpet weaving tradition in the 19th century that artistically combined geometric influences from the surrounding tribes and villages with more refined, curvilinear designs. Feraghan carpets were one of the carpet genres presented at the Vienna Exhibition of 1873, which ushered in a broad Western interest in Oriental carpets. Investment quality Feraghan rugs ceased to be produced after the 1910s and the finer examples from the 19th and early 20th centuries are now quite rare. The best antique Feraghan rugs, woven 90-175 years ago, are considered some of the most original and artistic room-sized rugs ever woven in Persia. Their high quality wool, vibrant, uncompromising craftsmanship, sublime colour palettes and durable construction have made them the parlour rug choice of European and East Coast families since the mid-19th century. Today, the finest Feraghan Persian rugs have become favourites of connoisseurs and established interior designers, not only because of their great decorative appeal, but because they have long enjoyed a consistently rising market valuation. Antique Persian rugs, known simply as "Feraghan", are characterised by a short-cut and tightly packed pile of fine yarn. They typically utilise dense, overlapping field patterns, particularly the Herati flower and curling leaf design of antique carpet designs, which epitomises the exceptional craftsmanship of 19th century Persian carpets. Pieces with a slightly heavier weave and gracefully drawn central medallions in teardrop or sunray shapes are known as "Feraghan Sarouk".