Rug No. has found its new home.
Every rug we sell is one of a kind, so that piece is gone. Here are others in the same spirit, or tell Rug Finder what you are looking for.
Ardabil Rugs
Ardabil, high in Persia’s northwest near the Caucasus, weaves crisp, confident geometry: bold medallions, angular borders and clear, saturated color. The mountain wool is strong and ages well. Each rug here is a genuine vintage Ardabil, hand-knotted and singular, professionally washed before sale.
Ardabil: crisp northwestern geometry
Ardabil lies in the far northwest of Persia, close to the Caucasus, and the weaving of the region reflects that position. Ardabil rugs tend toward clear geometric drawing, often with stepped or hooked medallions and strong, well-defined borders, closer in feel to Caucasian work than to the floral carpets of central Persia.
The construction is firm village weaving in good local wool, and the pieces wear extremely well.
Ardabil at a glance
- Drawing: geometric medallions, stepped forms, latch-hook motifs, strong borders.
- Color: madder red grounds on most of ours, with navy and cream, used at good strength.
- Weave: firm and hard-wearing on a cotton foundation.
- Sizes: mostly runners, with some small mats and a few room sizes.
On the floor
The clear geometry makes an Ardabil easy to place in a room with plain furniture, where it functions almost as graphic art on the floor. They are also excellent as runners, where the repeating structure suits a long, narrow space.
Age and color
Reds soften toward brick, indigo toward a smoky blue, and the ivory warms. The drawing stays legible for a very long time because it was drawn boldly to begin with.
Questions on Ardabil
Is this related to the famous Ardabil Carpet?
Only by name and region. The Safavid-era Ardabil Carpet in London is a masterpiece of a completely different order. The rugs here are vintage village and town weavings from the same part of Persia.
Is it spelled Ardabil or Ardebil?
Both are used for the same northwestern Persian city and its weaving.
Giving the geometry space
Bold geometry needs room to be read. In a living room, choose a size large enough that the medallion is not entirely hidden under a table, and aim for the front legs of the seating to sit on the rug. In a hallway, a runner should leave a little floor on each side. These carpets also work well layered, where the strong drawing benefits from a plain surface underneath it.
Upkeep
Firm northwestern village weaving is about as hard-wearing as Persian rugs get. A rug pad, a vacuum with the brush roll lifted, a turn every year and a quick blot for spills cover it; an Ardabil needs no special handling.
Details to inspect
Look at the corners and the border, where a village weaver’s adjustments are most visible, and at the ends and selvages for wear. Every Ardabil here was professionally washed and inspected before it reached the site.
Your pick
Look for confident, well-spaced geometry and good color contrast. Each Ardabil here exists in one example only.
The famous Ardabil carpet, and what the town’s own rugs are really like: the Ardabil guide.