Qum (Tehran) 8'10 X 11'9

Qum is located only about 75 miles south of the capital city of Tehran. Even though some of the finest Persian rugs are woven in Qum, the history of weaving does not go back farther than 70 or 80 years. Qum rugs have immensely improved in quality over the past twenty years. There have also been great innovations in design, to the extent that even some Caucasian patterns are being produced in Qum. Rug production started with a wool pile and silk highlights, but is today mostly concentrated on pure silk. A higher quality silk Qum usually has the signature of either the workshop or the master weaver on it. If the pile is wool, then it is always Kork (wool from lamb’s neck) which makes the rug much softer. In such rugs, the foundation is normally cotton, but silk rugs have a silk foundation, of which the weft may also be silk, making them even more valuable. Two shots of weft are inserted over each row of knots. Qum rugs come in all sizes, and use traditional colors of red, dark blue, and ivory. Tightly woven Qum rugs are magnificent pieces of art, and last forever. Knot count varies between 150 to over 1000 KPSI.