Universal designs

(Posted on 28/03/14)

Saph designs: Composed of a series of adjacent prayer-rug schemes, and often referred to as 'family' or 'multiple' prayer rugs. Anatolia, particularly Kaysery, produces a number of such rugs, but the majority come rfom Pakistan and are marketed as Mori Bokhara or Jaldar Saphs.Vase: This terms is applied to a number of compositions employing a vase, or group of vases, as the principal design element. The motif was most probably introduced into Persian from China where it had been used for centuries as a symbol of peace and tranquility - and has subsequently been adapted to fulfil both the schematic and symbolic requirement of Islamic weavers. It now forms forms a substantial part of the repertoire of several Persian, Anatolian and Indian workshop groups, particularly when incorporated as a subsidiary element into prayer-rug, tree-of-life and medallion-and-corner schemes. However, vases are the primary motifs in two design outlined below.Floral vase: Variations of allover floral schemes, which use vases as the sources of flowering sprays, and are found primarily on workshop items from Persia, Anatolia, India and Pakistan.Zel-i-sultan: Composed of an allover arrangement of repeating vases and considered by many experts to be one of the most aesthetically accomplished of all Persian designs. Rugs employing this scheme are becoming increasingly rare and, although it may still be found on some workshop items, the only group to use it with any regularity are Abadeh weavers of south central Persia.

                                                                                            (Zel-i-Sultan rug)