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Khorasan was formerly Northeast
Persia until it was split into 3 smaller provinces.
Khorasan was a catch-all phrase for the rugs from the
qanat region which included: Birjand
Rugs, Dorokhsh
Rugs, and Mood
Rugs.
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Meshed rugs by Mary
Beach Langton
MESHED
Meshed, the capital of
Khorasan, in the northeastern part of
the province, is famous not only for its rugs, but
as the holy city, the Meccaof the Mohammedans of
Persia. Here is the shrine of their prophet, Imam
Reza, to which thousands turn their steps yearly;
here was the home of Haroun Al-Rashid, and near
by that of Omar Khayyam; so that gathered about
its history are the most sacred of religious
rites, the charm of Haroun's life, and the songs
of the tent-maker poet.
It
is hard to realize or estimate the influence on
such a religious center on the industry of
rug-weaving, especially in the scattering of
knowledge of design; for often there are from
five to six thousand strangers in the city, each
bent upon worshiping at the shrine so renowned
for the splendor of its decorations, for its
iridescent tiles, and its rich carpets. Many a
pilgrim brings his gift of a carpet, upon which
he has spent the greatest care in designing and
weaving, to leave as a pledge of his devotion,
and not unlikely purchases another as a memento
of his pilgrimage. The Meshed rugs are easily
recognized as of the Khorasan variety, as they
follow much the same designs, materials, and
finish, but are of finer texture and of lighter
shades—pink, blue, and ivory being favorite
colors. Sometimes a rug in two tones of ivory is
seen. The old Meshed rugs were of wonderfully
fine texture and color, due largely to the
quality of the wool; today they are brighter than
the Khorasan, and of more even nap. They are
heavy, durable rugs, with long pile, close weave,
and imperishable dyes. They come in all sizes,
from four by six feet up to ten by twenty-five
feet or larger.
How to know oriental rugs, a handbook
by Mary Beach Langton, D. Appleton and Company,
1904
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Meshed Rugs
by John Kimberly Mumford
Meshed.—This,
the capital of Khorasan, was once almost wholly a city of
worship; it holds the shrines of Imam Reza and Caliph
Haroun al Rashid. It lies in the eastern part of the
province, and for centuries has been the objective point
of Mussulman pilgrimages from all over Asia, particularly
by the Persians and others of the Shiite sect whose
saints are entombed there. Thousands whose scant worldly
store did not warrant them in making the journey to Meccahave
contented themselves and no doubt demonstrated their
fidelity satisfactorily, by accomplishing the devotional
trip to Meshed.' It is really the most central place in Asia,
a veritable hub, from which great highways like the
spokes of a wheel, run out in all directions. More or
less weaving, some of it of the highest merit has always
been done in and about the city. Many rugs were brought,
too, by the pilgrims as offerings, and a vast trade in
textiles sprang up. Little by little Meshedlost its
religious tone. Its situation made it a perfect emporium,
a natural commercial centre. Its wonderful road system,
by which it can be directly reached from any part of
Asia, has been utilized more and more every year by
caravans, until now it is one of the greatest marts in
all the East.
The rugs vended
here are among the best that the Khorasan district knows.
Traditionally they are rich and lustrous beyond measure.
All the opulence of color and perfection of floral and
animal design that distinguishes the pure Khorasan is
found in the rugs which bear the name of the Shiite
Mecca. The chief features of the antiques are preserved,
but the more modern fabrics, while they hold high rank
even among the Persian loom works, have sacrificed much
of artistic finish to strength and durability, and are
now almost as substantial as the Herati or even the
Kurdistan Sarakhs. They present as patterns the great
cone or pear shapes, in larger form perhaps than any
other rug. In the border these take the long form common
to India and Kashmir; they are placed transversely and
often alternated with the crossed arrangements described
as a feature of the proper Khorasans. The designs in the
most pretentious examples include also the animal forms,
set in luminous colors upon the brightest of grounds. The
pile is not trimmed in the uneven manner of the other
Khorasans, but presents the smooth, compact surface
common in the Herat, to which they are nearly related. In
finish of ends and sides they follow the Khorasans. They
are worked in the Ghiordes knot.
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