The History of Kerman Rugs
by Majid Paydar, PhD
Kerman refers to the name of a major city in the southeast of Iran. The city has a long history and was built by Ardashir the First, one of the kings of the Sassanid dynasty around the early third century. From the early days, the city has been commercially important, because of its geographical location as the last city between Iran and India.
In addition, Kerman is located along the fringe of the Kavir-e-lut desert. Therefore, due to the dry climate and dearth of rain, people of the region have been more engaged in arts and crafts than in agriculture.
Although the city is many centuries old, the rug industry in Kerman is only about one century old. When Marco Polo visited the area in the 13th century, he cites only needlework (suzani) and chrochet work, but makes no mention of rug weaving. French traveler and writer Jean Chardin visited Iran (then called Persia) from 1665-70 and again from 1671-77. On his first visit, Chardin benefited from the patronage of Shah Abbas II, and upon his return to Paris published a book about his travels in Persia. The book reports that the main craft in Kerman was making termeh or shawls. In fact, shawls from Kerman were considered of very fine quality, almost on a par with the treasured shawls woven in Kashmir, and often superior in design and color. Shawl-making built the city’s reputation as a design center, but rug-making became the dominant craft only during this century.
According to Edwards book, The Carpets of Iran, the distinction belongs to Ravar,* a remote village about 100 miles northeast of Kerman, for the oldest rug made in the province—in 1866. The book also reveals that Colonel Evan Smith indicated that there were only six workshops in the city in 1871. Rug weaving was a limited sporadic activity during the late 19th century, but not a significant main industry.[1]
*Ravar is often mispronounced as “Lavar.”
by Majid Paydar, PhD
Kerman refers to the name of a major city in the southeast of Iran. The city has a long history and was built by Ardashir the First, one of the kings of the Sassanid dynasty around the early third century. From the early days, the city has been commercially important, because of its geographical location as the last city between Iran and India.
In addition, Kerman is located along the fringe of the Kavir-e-lut desert. Therefore, due to the dry climate and dearth of rain, people of the region have been more engaged in arts and crafts than in agriculture.
Although the city is many centuries old, the rug industry in Kerman is only about one century old. When Marco Polo visited the area in the 13th century, he cites only needlework (suzani) and chrochet work, but makes no mention of rug weaving. French traveler and writer Jean Chardin visited Iran (then called Persia) from 1665-70 and again from 1671-77. On his first visit, Chardin benefited from the patronage of Shah Abbas II, and upon his return to Paris published a book about his travels in Persia. The book reports that the main craft in Kerman was making termeh or shawls. In fact, shawls from Kerman were considered of very fine quality, almost on a par with the treasured shawls woven in Kashmir, and often superior in design and color. Shawl-making built the city’s reputation as a design center, but rug-making became the dominant craft only during this century.
According to Edwards book, The Carpets of Iran, the distinction belongs to Ravar,* a remote village about 100 miles northeast of Kerman, for the oldest rug made in the province—in 1866. The book also reveals that Colonel Evan Smith indicated that there were only six workshops in the city in 1871. Rug weaving was a limited sporadic activity during the late 19th century, but not a significant main industry.[1]
*Ravar is often mispronounced as “Lavar.”
A Changing Industry
Two factors accelerated the rug industry in Kerman: first, the potential and willingness of the local artisans for change; and, second, external influences.
The termeh that was the primary craft product for many centuries refers to a fine handcrafted material worn by the elite as apparel. Due to its ornamental value, termeh was used for decorative purposes, but its main application was for clothing. The popularity of termeh reached its peak in the Safavid and Qajar dynasties (1502-1925). However, competition with Kashmir shawls, fine textiles from Scotland, and machine-made products caused a decline in termeh weaving. As artisans searched for alternative means of survival around the turn of the century, rug weaving gained importance.[2]
During the late 19th century, Tabriz rug merchants, who were overwhelmed with foreign orders, were searching other parts of Iran to establish workshops (Tabriz has been a major center for rug weaving since the Safavid Dynasty, and a major export center since the latter part of the Qajar Dynasty). Kerman was considered for such expansion along with other places such as Mashad, Heriz, and Kashan. Toward the end of the 19th century, the fine, skillfully-woven Kerman rugs became the most popular of the Persian weavings, and they were much in demand in western countries. Outside influences spread the rug making industry as foreign investors and companies that were mainly American or European reached the remote villages of the Kerman province.[3]
The first foreign company to establish its office in Kerman was the “Eastern Rug and Trading Co. of New York,” when their representative Otto Brandly arrived in 1909. Nearco Castelli and Brothers came from Italy a few years later. Within ten years, more foreign companies from Britain and America joined these to the extent that from 1,000 looms in the city and 130 in rural areas the number was tripled in 1914.[4]
The industry’s pace slowed during World War I (1914-1919) but increased rapidly between 1922 and 1929. The increase was both in terms of quantity and quality, and Edwards reported that the number of active looms reached 5,000.
Design Influence
At the outset, Kerman rug designs were directly influenced by termeh and the first stage of the area’s rug industry is called the “termeh era.” Paisley designs and cypress tree motifs distinguish the patterns used around the turn of the century. During the early 20th century, the “Baharestan era” evolved—a stage moving toward ever-increasing complexity in design by incorporating hunt scenes and depicting the beauty of the spring spirit. Rug designs of the period show different flowers, trees, stylized branches, birds and animals, vegetable gardens, and pastoral spring motifs.[5]
A shift in Kerman rug patterns appeared at the end of World War I. This period is called the “regression era,” where Eslimi patterns, Shah-Abbasi flowers, Qurani frame designs, and detailed designs with medalions and centerpieces prevailed mainly to satisfy the American market (1930-1933) forced contracts and orders to stop.
Approximately 90% of the Kerman rug industry depended upon the American market. The sudden financial upheaval of the Great Depression was devastating to the rug industry’s foreign financial backers and to many interrelated businesses such as warehouses, offices, and design houses.
From such problems came another shift in design. Local people who were involved in the rug industry gradually took over. Depsite all the pitfalls, local artisans with government help under Reza Shah rejuvenated the industry. And since they were no longer under pressure to meet foreign style demands, designs shifted back to the traditional Baharestan type.
Although the pace of activity was not as strong as before the Depression in America, Edwards reports that in late 1948 there were again as many as 4,000 active looms in Kerman.[6]
The rug industry took a new direction again around World War II, when the American market required open background style rugs. French customers wanted Aubusson and Savonnerie style rugs. Consequently many of the rugs produced for a short period during the early 1940s were copied directly from drawings that French designers sent to Kerman. The period is known as the “Gublin era,” which refers to the domination of French patterns. But quality in both design and materials suffered. Many of the patterns submitted by French designers conflicted with traditional motifs. The pastel colors demanded by foreign markets led to use of chemical dyes replacing the more expensive vegetable dyes. And lesser quality wool kept prices down, meeting demand but diminishing the product. By the late 1940s the Kerman rug industry again took over its own destiny.[7]
The century-long history of Kerman rugs is a history of change. Although foreign influences were negatively perceived by Iranian scholars, such influences helped the industry to gain momentum and led toward ever increasing variety, complexity, and growth. Kerman has created more skillful weavers and creative designers than any other rug weaving area in Iran. The worldwide reputation of Kerman rugs should be credited to the most famous designers such as Hassan Khan, Mohassen Khan, Zaman Khan, and hundreds of others.
[1] Edwards, C., Carpets of Iran. Translated in Farsi. Tehran, 1948.
[2] Yassavoli, J., An Introduction to Iran Carpet. Tehran (in Farsi), 1992.
[3] ibid.
[4] Edwards, C.
[5] Soor-Esrafil, The Great Carpet Designers of Iran. Tehran (in Farsi), 1992.
[6] Edwards, C.
[7] Soor-Esrafil.
Two factors accelerated the rug industry in Kerman: first, the potential and willingness of the local artisans for change; and, second, external influences.
The termeh that was the primary craft product for many centuries refers to a fine handcrafted material worn by the elite as apparel. Due to its ornamental value, termeh was used for decorative purposes, but its main application was for clothing. The popularity of termeh reached its peak in the Safavid and Qajar dynasties (1502-1925). However, competition with Kashmir shawls, fine textiles from Scotland, and machine-made products caused a decline in termeh weaving. As artisans searched for alternative means of survival around the turn of the century, rug weaving gained importance.[2]
During the late 19th century, Tabriz rug merchants, who were overwhelmed with foreign orders, were searching other parts of Iran to establish workshops (Tabriz has been a major center for rug weaving since the Safavid Dynasty, and a major export center since the latter part of the Qajar Dynasty). Kerman was considered for such expansion along with other places such as Mashad, Heriz, and Kashan. Toward the end of the 19th century, the fine, skillfully-woven Kerman rugs became the most popular of the Persian weavings, and they were much in demand in western countries. Outside influences spread the rug making industry as foreign investors and companies that were mainly American or European reached the remote villages of the Kerman province.[3]
The first foreign company to establish its office in Kerman was the “Eastern Rug and Trading Co. of New York,” when their representative Otto Brandly arrived in 1909. Nearco Castelli and Brothers came from Italy a few years later. Within ten years, more foreign companies from Britain and America joined these to the extent that from 1,000 looms in the city and 130 in rural areas the number was tripled in 1914.[4]
The industry’s pace slowed during World War I (1914-1919) but increased rapidly between 1922 and 1929. The increase was both in terms of quantity and quality, and Edwards reported that the number of active looms reached 5,000.
Design Influence
At the outset, Kerman rug designs were directly influenced by termeh and the first stage of the area’s rug industry is called the “termeh era.” Paisley designs and cypress tree motifs distinguish the patterns used around the turn of the century. During the early 20th century, the “Baharestan era” evolved—a stage moving toward ever-increasing complexity in design by incorporating hunt scenes and depicting the beauty of the spring spirit. Rug designs of the period show different flowers, trees, stylized branches, birds and animals, vegetable gardens, and pastoral spring motifs.[5]
A shift in Kerman rug patterns appeared at the end of World War I. This period is called the “regression era,” where Eslimi patterns, Shah-Abbasi flowers, Qurani frame designs, and detailed designs with medalions and centerpieces prevailed mainly to satisfy the American market (1930-1933) forced contracts and orders to stop.
Approximately 90% of the Kerman rug industry depended upon the American market. The sudden financial upheaval of the Great Depression was devastating to the rug industry’s foreign financial backers and to many interrelated businesses such as warehouses, offices, and design houses.
From such problems came another shift in design. Local people who were involved in the rug industry gradually took over. Depsite all the pitfalls, local artisans with government help under Reza Shah rejuvenated the industry. And since they were no longer under pressure to meet foreign style demands, designs shifted back to the traditional Baharestan type.
Although the pace of activity was not as strong as before the Depression in America, Edwards reports that in late 1948 there were again as many as 4,000 active looms in Kerman.[6]
The rug industry took a new direction again around World War II, when the American market required open background style rugs. French customers wanted Aubusson and Savonnerie style rugs. Consequently many of the rugs produced for a short period during the early 1940s were copied directly from drawings that French designers sent to Kerman. The period is known as the “Gublin era,” which refers to the domination of French patterns. But quality in both design and materials suffered. Many of the patterns submitted by French designers conflicted with traditional motifs. The pastel colors demanded by foreign markets led to use of chemical dyes replacing the more expensive vegetable dyes. And lesser quality wool kept prices down, meeting demand but diminishing the product. By the late 1940s the Kerman rug industry again took over its own destiny.[7]
The century-long history of Kerman rugs is a history of change. Although foreign influences were negatively perceived by Iranian scholars, such influences helped the industry to gain momentum and led toward ever increasing variety, complexity, and growth. Kerman has created more skillful weavers and creative designers than any other rug weaving area in Iran. The worldwide reputation of Kerman rugs should be credited to the most famous designers such as Hassan Khan, Mohassen Khan, Zaman Khan, and hundreds of others.
[1] Edwards, C., Carpets of Iran. Translated in Farsi. Tehran, 1948.
[2] Yassavoli, J., An Introduction to Iran Carpet. Tehran (in Farsi), 1992.
[3] ibid.
[4] Edwards, C.
[5] Soor-Esrafil, The Great Carpet Designers of Iran. Tehran (in Farsi), 1992.
[6] Edwards, C.
[7] Soor-Esrafil.
