Guide to Heriz Rugs & Carpets
First time published in Oriental
Rug Notes. This short extract of the original
article is republished by courtesy of the author J. Barry
O'Connell.
Heriz
Rugs are made in the Heriz district about 40 miles west of Tabriz in
Northwest Iran. The Heriz rugs reflect a geometric rendering of Tabriz
designs. Heriz is the market center collection point for the region in
Iran in-between Tabriz and Ardabil. Heriz is one of the more important
production areas for the US market. The wool is excellent and the
construction is sound making hard-wearing durable carpets. Next to Bijars
these are some of the toughest Persian carpets.
Ahar is the northern end of the region and produces the
most curvilinear carpets. It runs east to Sarab, south to Duz Duzan and
west to Bilverdi. There are various grades of Heriz from finest to
coarsest they are Ahar, Mehraban, Serapi, Bakshaish, and Gorevan. They use
a cotton foundation and the knot counts average from 25 to 80 per square
inch.
In the 18th - 20th centuries there have been a constant
series of upheavels between Russia and her Moslem neighbours to the south.
Every time Russia and Turkey fought Moslems moved south and Armenians
moved north. Many of the weavers from the Heriz area are a result of emigration
from what is now Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Read more
at Oriental Rug Notes.
Heriz rugs at Jozan Educational
Gallery.
