The Oriental Collection - Catalog - Page 12
REZAS EXCLUSIVE COLLECTION
Nain 6 La
Nain is a city of about 50,000 people, located in the Isfahan Province. It lies on the
border of one of Iran’s largest deserts, the Dasht-e-Kavir. It has historic significance,
since it was the last stop on caravan routes before travellers made the trek across
the expansive desert.
The industry in Nain was traditionally focused on the production of wool garments,
but the weavers switched to rug production when garment demand fell. Their new
rugs soon became sought-after across the region, as the weavers were skilled and
used good quality materials. The warp and weft are cotton, with a wool pile and
contours of silk.
Sometimes, silk is also used in the base of the rugs. The colours are refined; nuances of ivory and cream, with small areas of red, green, and blue. As with the rugs from
Isfahan, the patterns of the Nain rugs are traditional. Nain rugs come in all sizes,
including the very large of up to 60m2, and some of these have a pure silk pile. The
largest Nain rug produced was 20 by 20 meters.
Nain rugs are divided into classes depending on the density of their knots. They are
divided into: 4La, 6La, 9La and 12La. The smaller the number, the higher the knot
density and quality and the more intricate the design. A 4La has a knot density of
over one million knots per square meter and is typically sought after by collectors.
These rugs are made over many months or even years by some of the most experienced rug weavers in the region.
The master knotter Fathollah Habibian is thought to be the originator of Nain rugs,
and genuine Habibian rugs are a rare sight on today’s market.
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