Hand-Knotted Herati Mahi Medallion Wool Rug, Navy Field, 9'11" X 6'8"

Details

Description

The central medallion of this hand-knotted rug commands the room
before anything else does. A large diamond form in ivory … Read more The central medallion of this hand-knotted rug commands the room
before anything else does. A large diamond form in ivory and crimson
floats at the center of a deep navy field, its edges dissolving into
arabesque palmettes and scrolling vines that reach toward the
four corners. The entire field — inside and outside the medallion —
is covered in the Herati Mahi pattern: the ancient repeating motif
of a rosette framed in a diamond with curving lance-shaped leaves,
known in Persian as Mahi, meaning fish, for the way the paired
leaves circle each flower like fish around a lily. In natural light,
the pattern reveals extraordinary depth. From a distance, it reads
as a richly textured field. Up close, the precision of each repeated
unit — hundreds of them, each identically proportioned — speaks to
a knot count and a level of skill that separates this rug from
everything around it.

What sets this piece apart is its combination of pattern vocabulary
and scale. The Herati Mahi medallion composition is among the most
formally accomplished designs in the oriental rug tradition, woven
in the finest workshop style and historically associated with Tabriz
and Herat — the two great weaving cities that defined this pattern
lineage. At just under ten feet by six feet eight inches, it is
the right size for a formal living room, a dining room with a
large table, or a primary bedroom. The navy field grounds it
without making it heavy. It pairs naturally with dark wood,
brass and leather, and works equally well against white walls
and contemporary furniture.

Dimensions: 9'11" x 6'8" / 302 x 207 cm
Place of Origin: Northern Afghanistan — Herati workshop tradition
Pattern: Herati Mahi medallion with allover fish repeat and scrolling border
Material: 100% hand-spun wool pile on cotton foundation
Dyes: Natural vegetable dyes — indigo navy, madder red, plant green, ivory
Weave: Hand-knotted, high knot density fine workshop weave
Condition: Excellent — professionally hand-washed, ready to install
Stock No: 3599

The Herati pattern originates in Herat, the great historic city
of western Afghanistan that gave the weaving world one of its
most enduring design vocabularies. From Herat the Mahi motif
spread westward through Persia into Tabriz and beyond, becoming
the signature of the finest Persian medallion carpets. Afghan
weavers in the northern provinces have long produced their own
interpretation of this tradition, achieving the same high knot
densities and design precision through generations of
inherited craft knowledge.

This rug comes from a family with four decades of direct sourcing
experience in the weaving villages of northern Afghanistan. My
grandfather began trading these rugs on the streets of Islamabad
in the 1980s — a refugee who built a business from nothing,
sleeping beside his inventory and storing his rugs at the local
mosque. My father carried that forward. I have spent my entire
life with these textiles, and every piece I sell is chosen with
firsthand knowledge of its origin and its making.

Care: Rotate periodically for even wear. Vacuum on low suction
without beater bar. Professional cleaning every few years.
A quality rug pad is strongly recommended. See less