Tabriz 6'6" X 9'10"

Tabriz
Tabriz is the capital city of Azerbaijan province, and has been a major producer of very fine Persian rugs for the past few centuries. There is a large variety of patterns in Tabriz rugs, but the typical design is floral "Shah Abbasi” with or without a center medallion. Many different colors are found in these rugs; normally traditional red, blue, and ivory in older pieces, and more muted colors of salmon, light blue and green in newer ones. The quality of Tabriz rugs vary; some of the older pieces have natural dyes and high or low number of knots per square inch (KPSI), whereas many newer pieces have much higher KPSI but chemical dyes. The wool used in newer rugs of Tabriz is Kork (wool from the neck of lambs), making the pile softer. All possible sizes and many long runners are woven in Tabriz. The foundation is usually cotton in older pieces, and silk in newer ones. The silk warp, being thinner than cotton, allows smaller knots to be tied on it, resulting in a tighter weave. Generally, any quality higher than about 300 KPSI needs to be woven on silk warps. Tabriz rugs are very popular and in great demand all over the world. Some of the old pieces of Tabriz rugs are collector items, very valuable, and on display in famous museums. Knot density averages from 100 to over 800 KPSI.