c1950s ANTIQUE FLORAL PERSIAN HAMADAN RUNNER 3.5x9.7

HAMADAN is one of the oldest cities not only of Iran, but of the world. Located in west-central Iran, this vast trade center for tribal rugs has a historical origin dating back several centuries before Christ. Hamadan was the summer capital of the Median and was then called Ekbatan or Hegmataneh, which means a place of assembly. It is thus one of the cradles of Oriental Civilization. According to historical records, there was once a castle in this city by the name of Haft Hessar (seven walls) which had a thousand rooms and whose grandeur equaled the Tower of Babylon. All the nations living around Iran coveted the prominent location of Hamadan and, from ancient times until recent centuries, have invaded the city several times. First, the Assyrians destroyed Hamadan. It was ruined again and again during the invasion of the Mongols under Tamerlane. Finally, in recent centuries, the Ottomans attacked the city several times, but Hamadan heroically stood against the enemies and courageously withstood all the damages it sustained. Hamadan is the homeland of great scholars and men of letters like Einalqozat Hamdeni, Khajeh Rashidoddin Fazlollah, Adham Hamdeni, Baba Taher Orian and Mirzadeh Eshqi. The tombs of Avicenna and Baba taher are located in this city. It should be noted that Hamden has preserved its importance in the post-Islamic period. Hamadan produces beautiful, tribal hand-woven rugs made in the city and the surrounding areas in the west of Iran. Initially, these rugs were created for the use of sleeping on. This general idea of using a rug on the floor to sleep on evolved into the idea of using a long, narrow runner. At last, a stair runner was created. Hamadan's rugs are quite durably constructed due to the rugged wool spun from hardy sheep in the higher, cooler altitudes. The patterns vary in rugs of this city from geometric, to small animal and floral elements and to sometimes the famous Herati design. Also, the Mahi design (fish design) is used in carpets from Hamadan. Runners often times can have a repeating design of a flower which is centered inside a diamond shape. The diamond shape will have curving leaves outside of it which each side it parallel to on another. Hamadan is an important city in the carpet industry because, along with its many surrounding villages it produces countless numbers of floor pieces that are all unique and remarkable in their own way. These rugs are influenced by the Turks and are manufactured around the city of Hamadan are all handmade, with a pile entirely of wool and mainly natural vegetable dyes. Very seldom will you ever see silk in the rugs from this region. The foundation of the rug (the warp and weft) is usually cotton, and in some cases goat hair. The patterns are usually simple geometric arrangements with primary and vibrant colors. These rugs are overall very good in quality and most of them have been known to last surprisingly long periods of time. Hamadan village rugs all have a single-wefted medallion. Hamadan carpets come in different sizes, but the majority of them are mid-size (4x6 to 8x 10 feet). These days you can find many beautiful runners of fine pattern and quality. Dark reds and powerful blues are the predominant colors along with ivories set for contrasting colors. Other colors such as soft greens, blues, and browns are found in newer carpets. These rugs and carpets are made of a soft wool and have a thin, tight pile. The warp and weft are mostly made of cotton. Weavers in Hamadan use Turkish knots, and the carpets are flat-woven. These carpets are to be among the finest quality carpets and are great for practical and durable use in a home.