FAQs

Wool-pile Isfahan rugs are durable but have low, fine piles; silk foundations can be delicate. Best for medium or formal traffic; use a quality pad to reduce wear.

Small wool Isfahan rugs can start in the low hundreds to low thousands, while room-size vintage pieces often run \$4,000–\$20,000+. Signed or full-silk examples can reach six figures.

Runner Isfahan rugs exist but are comparatively rare versus room sizes. Expect limited selection and higher prices for fine signed runners.

Isfahan rugs range from small mats (\~2×3 ft) to large room sizes (8×10, 9×12, 10×14+). Oversize pieces exist but are less common.

Isfahan rugs feature Shah Abbas palmettes, arabesques, vine scrolls, vase and tree-of-life patterns. Central medallions frequently echo the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque dome.

Nain rugs favor lighter ivory-blue palettes and use “La” grades (e.g., 6La, 4La) for fineness. Isfahan rugs often show deeper reds/navy and emphasize named workshop traditions.

Isfahan rugs are typically finer with silk foundations appearing more often; Kashan rugs more commonly use cotton foundations. Isfahan drawing is ultra-precise; Kashan florals are lush but usually slightly heavier.

Many city-workshop Isfahan rugs are signed in a small border cartouche, often with names like Seirafian. Look along the end guard borders for Persian script or occasional Latin letters.

“Polonaise” refers to 16th–17th-century Persian silk Isfahan rugs exported via Poland and misattributed there. Many used metal-wrapped threads and pastel palettes.

Yes—Isfahan rugs are hand-knotted using the asymmetrical Persian (Senneh) knot. The pile is typically clipped low to sharpen detail.

Most Isfahan rugs have a fine kork-wool pile with silk highlights on cotton or silk foundations. Full-silk Isfahan rugs exist and command premium prices.

Isfahan rugs commonly range around 300–600 knots per square inch (KPSI), with master workshop pieces reaching 700+ KPSI. Antique or top-tier silk examples can be even finer.