TEHRAN – A collection of handwoven Persian carpets and rugs, which date to the 19th and early 20th century, has been put on show in Karaj, the capital of Alborz province.

The deputy minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Pouya Mahmoudian, and the provincial tourism chief, Freydoun Mohammadi, were amongst attendees at the opening ceremony of the exhibit, which kicked off on Tuesday.

“The exhibit features 22 pieces of rugs and carpets related to the Qajar and early Pahlavi eras, which have been gathered from different regions of Iran, Europe, and the United States by a private collector,” Mohammadi said, IRNA reported.

Persian carpets are sought after internationally for their delicate designs and their good quality. Among Persian carpets, particularly those of the classic period, the medallion may represent an open lotus blossom with 16 petals as seen from above, a complex star form, or a quatrefoil with pointed lobes.

Medallion carpet is any floor covering on which the decoration is dominated by a single symmetrical centerpiece, such as a star-shaped, circular, quatrefoil, or octagonal figure. The name, however, is sometimes also given to a carpet on which the decoration consists of several forms of this kind or even of rows of medallion figures.

AFM