Large Medallion.—These are floral carpets with a central lobed medallion, almost as wide as the field, having an appendage stretching towards each end of the carpet. To this device the name "pole-medallion" is often given. Carpets that are of this type probably come from north west Persia.
Animal or Hunting.—An arti ficial division that includes floral carpets introducing hunting scenes or animals. Probably most of them come from south east Persia.
Vase.—These are simply floral carpets with vases of flowers occurring in the pattern. The third typt of floral carpet is very commonly so treated (see Plate VIII.). It has been suggested that they were made in the neighbourhood of j oshaghan.
Diamond Diaper.—In these the field is divided up by long ser rated leaves into diamond-shaped compartments, which are often filled with a group of four large palmettes, and sometimes con tain vases.
Polonaise.—These are carpets with a silk pile often enriched with gold and silver thread inserted by the tapestry method. They appear to date from the 17th century but their place of origin is still uncertain. An abandoned theory is that they were made by Persian settlers in Poland. It is possible that they were all made in Persia and were mostly in. tended as gifts to European courts, but their patterns cer tainly differ from contemporary Persian carpets and an Indian or Turkish origin is not out of the question.
Indo-Persian.—These are of the second and third floral types, but with a more set and angular arrangement of the basic stems, and with a much brighter colour scheme. The ground is crimson and among the other colours, bril liant greens and yellows predom ' inate. It is thought that they may have come from the neigh bourhood of Herat.
Tapestry.—A very few examples are known of carpets with the usual Persian patterns, woven by the tapestry method.
During the 17th and i8th centuries the patterns become more formal in character without undergoing any essential change: the more naturalistic forms tend to drop out and designs of the third floral and the diamond diaper type become more frequent. Silk is rarely used for the warp, but wool begins to be noticed though no doubt it had been used much earlier in carpets that have not been preserved. Towards the end of this period there begin to emerge certain groups of carpets that can be ascribed to definite districts, and these types mostly persist throughout the 19th century, when their numbers are augmented by the efforts of the manufacturer catering for the western market. The
carpets of a locality rarely differ much in technique, and are mostly restricted to a few types of pattern, some of which are highly characteristic. There is a general tendency for carpets made towards the north-west of Persia to have a woollen warp, the Ghiordes knot and a rather coarse texture ; and those from the south-east to have a cotton warp, the Selma knot and a fine texture.
Kurdistan.—Very thick and close pile : Ghiordes knot and woollen warp: mostly two lines of red woollen weft. The Mina Khani is a favourite pattern. Similar rugs not easily dis tinguishable from a descrip tion are called Kara Dagh, Bijar, and Mosul.
Hamadan.—Usually a cotton warp; the Ghiordes knot; and one line of weft after the knots.
There is a wide outer band of plain camel hair which is very characteristic. Many are runners and have two or more large hexagonal panels along the field (see fig. Io). The colours are soft and harmonious.
Tabriz.—A type produced during the 19th century by an organized system chiefly for the western market. They are finely woven and well and accurately made but they lack the interest of the spontaneous product. The colours are light and delicate: the graceful pattern is evolved from traditional detail by the modern designer. They have a cotton warp and the Sehna knot. Both large and small rugs are made; many with a silk pile. Herez.—Mostly large carpets, coarser in texture and bolder in pattern than the Tabriz, but otherwise answering much the same description. To kindred products the names Gorevan, Kermanshah and Serapi are applied.
Feraghan.—A type much prized in the East. The best, usually small, are finely woven with a short pile. They have the Ghiordes knot, a cotton pile, and two lines of weft. The col ouring is soft, and evenly toned patterns like the herati are com mon. Sometimes they have a well-m ark e d diamond-shaped panel on a light ground. Many large and coarse rugs dating from the middle of the 19th century are found in English houses.