Birjand

Birjand is a small city in the Khorasan province of northeastern Iran. The Birjand rugs typically have a very elegant model, similar to Herati but with a European feel. These usually have a stylized round central medallion sitting in an open field of small fish in a sea of beige. Borders repeated resemble those of the Mahi, but the Birjand is more curvilinear. In general, they are very complicated and detailed. Color schemes include beige and navy blue, with hints of burgundy and salmon.
History & Construction
In the province of Khorassan is the biggest in Iran, stretching through northeast of the country. The capital city, and Mashhad, where most of the area rugs are introduced. Some other centers in this rug-producing region are Kashmar (Turshis) Moud, Sabzevar, Ghain and Birjand, most of which are situated very close to Mashad. The king, Shah Abbas regularly seize and destroy badly woven carpets, and those with inferior coloring techniques, to ensure the highest levels of this ancient art. In 1722 there was an invasion of Afghanistan in Iran left the country in a state of political confusion and rug industry in a state of disrepair, particularly in established areas such as Mashad. Fortunately Khorassan was the start of the blanket industry, because the royal court of Iran did much to help. Many Baluch-style rugs are also woven by Baluchi nomads who inhabit areas in the south. There are many grades of hand-made rugs produced in this province wide, but those woven inside the cities usually of a finer quality than those that are woven by nomads. Although the nomads were the first to weave rugs for their own use, cities adopted and refined their talents. Almost every color can be seen and everyone has a pile of wool on a foundation of cotton. In extremely rare, older cases, silk may be seen. Wool, however, and unusually bright and soft and models include historical illustrations (Persepolis, etc..) Unique to Khorassan.

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Visibility: BIRJAND carpets are the finest quality Persian carpets in eastern IRAN. They have many characteristics similar to Qom, but the borders of BIRJAND rugs and carpets are more crowded with detail.

Quality: BIRJAND carpets have the best quality among those from eastern IRAN.

Size & Shapes: BIRJAND carpets come in different sizes, but the majority of them are large in size (10 x 18 feet).

Color: Light red, dark blue, bright green. The corners are usually ivory or white.

Texture: Soft wool; thin, tight pile.

Foundation: Warp is mostly cotton; weft is mostly wool.

Knots: eavers in BIRJAND use Persian knots. The quality of the carpet depends upon the number of knots, which varies, but averages from around 120 KPSI(30 RAJ) up to 475 KPSI (60 RAJ)