Antique Persian-Armenian Farah Donbeh Village Rug

Origin: Farah Donbeh village, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran. According to author JP Willborg, who traveled extensively and did field research on rugs of this province, Farah Donbeh was at one point a small Armenian village. Since the latter half of the 20th century it has grown into a larger diverse town. These rugs are almost always misidentified as Bakhtiari works, probably because of the namesake of the province. The design and construction method of this rug (described below) is a typical Persian "Armenibaft" - meaning Armenian weave. See a similar rug published in Willborg's Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari: Village, Workshop & Nomadic Rugs Of Western Persia, plate #144.

Age: Late 1920s to 1930s, ~90-100 years old.

Design: An abstract floral design, sometimes called French rose or 'gol farang', meaning foreign flower in Farsi. A large central medallion and corner spandrels featuring a dense cluster of roses. The field and borders are also absolutely filled with floral motifs and sprawling vines. The design was supposedly popular with the high society of Russia and Iran in the 19th century, however it eventually became a prolific and more universally appreciated style. It is woven by Armenian weavers wherever they may be found across the Armenian Highlands and Persia.

Colors: All natural plant dyes that are incredibly saturated and have a significant variation in color from small batch lots. The dying expertise employed here is as much an art form as that of the weaver. Shades of blue from Indigo (indigofera tinctoria, also known as true indigo.) Shades of red and pink from madder root (rubia tinctorum, or dyer’s madder). Yellow has several possible sources including pomegranate rind, onion skins, vine leaves, and weld (reseda luteola). Greens from overdying blue and yellow. Orange from overdying red and yellow. Natural undyed ivory and natural undyed peppery-brown. Black/brown probably from dark wool also dyed with indigo and/or walnut husk. Excellent use of dye variation (abrash) from different dye lots.

Foundation: Cotton warp and single wool weft, mostly brown but some other colors mixed in. The typical "Armenibaft" construction.

Pile: Very densely knotted wool pile of superior quality, clipped short to show fine detail of the design.

Knotting: Symmetrical.

Size: 4 feet 6 inches by 7 feet.

Condition: Excellent condition. One small area with a few lost knots in the middle of the top fringe ends. The fringe ends have been newly secured and worn areas of the selvage have been overcast with new black wool. No areas of low pile and minimal signs of use.