2014 Malayer 10 ft 23 ft (3.05 x 7.00m)

 Situated near Hamadan, the important carpet-weaving town of Malayer produces rugs resembling Sarouks of the older type, but they use the Turkish knot.  The patterns and quality of weave are among the best from this area (Western Persia).  In this particular rug, the traditional “Herati,” or repeating diamond design is repeated in two distinct background colors, framed by several minor borders on the outside, and a saw-tooth outline in the interior.

The Herati pattern, one of the oldest in the Persian design vocabulary is named after Herat, presently in Afghanistan, but a major silk route city since the 14^th century.  Herat was at one time the Capital of the Khorassan province, and flourished as part of the Persian Empire until 1857.