Antique Rugs, Bakhtiar

In the Zagros Mountains of Iran, in the Central West province of Chahar Mahal and Bakhtairi, villagers weave distinctive Bakhtiari rugs.

Nickname: Bibibaffs are what the Persians call very finely knotted Bakhtiari area rugs. In Persian that translates to “woven by a woman.”

Cheerful, colourful and crowded best describes the Bakhtiari rug! Woven from wool, most use symmetric Turkish knots, although in some areas weavers use the asymmetric Persian knot.

Colors: Bright blues, rich reds, deep greens, browns, and beiges create bold and lively floral motifs.

Patterns: Paneled garden designs made up of squares, rectangles, diamonds or hexagon compartments filled with Willow or Cypress trees and grapevines. Sometimes a bird perches on a branch or a vase of brilliantly coloured flowers takes center stage. Many talented Bakhtiari weavers create sophisticated medallions in bright colours.