6'10" x 10'10" Persian Herati Rug | All Over Mahi Fish Lattice | Navy Blue Field, Never Used

This is a hand-knotted Persian rug carrying one of the oldest and most respected patterns in the weaving world, the Herati or mahi fish repeat, drawn across a deep navy blue field and framed by a wide rose red border. The pile is fine wool on a cotton foundation, the handle is firm and even, and the rug has never been on a floor, so the wool still has its full crisp nap and the fringes are untouched. At 6'10" x 10'10" it is a true room size piece, long enough to anchor a seating group or run the length of a dining table without the pattern feeling cropped. Every rug we ship carries our certificate of authenticity confirming it is genuinely hand-knotted and woven in Persia.

Design and Motifs

The field is a classic Herati repeat, sometimes called mahi or fish pattern: a continuous diamond lattice, a rosette set inside each diamond, and 4 curled serrated leaves swimming around it like fish circling a pond. It is an all over design with no central medallion, which is exactly why it suits furniture so well, since sofas and tables can sit anywhere on it without hiding a focal point. Each of the 4 corners of the field opens into a rose red spandrel filled with sweeping arabesque vines and ivory cloud forms, a nice piece of drawing that keeps the repeat from reading flat. The main border alternates hooked staff motifs with upright floral bouquets and small palmettes, and it is fenced on both sides by reciprocal saw-tooth guard stripes in camel and ivory. The outer edge finishes in solid navy, giving the whole composition a clean frame.

A Navy Field Set Against Rose Red

The ground is a deep indigo navy that shifts subtly through the length of the rug, the natural abrash of hand-dyed wool, reading almost aubergine where the light catches it and near black in the shadows. Against that dark ground the lattice is drawn in salmon pink and ivory, so the pattern reads clearly from across the room, while the rosettes pick up sky blue, soft green, burgundy and cream. The border is a warm rose red, brighter and cooler than a brick Persian red, and the ivory and camel guard stripes lift the contrast between field and frame. Ivory is used sparingly and deliberately, in the cloud forms of the spandrels and in the small flower heads of the border, which keeps the rug from feeling heavy. It is a strong choice for rooms with cream walls, walnut or oak floors and leather or linen upholstery, and it sits with the rest of our navy blue Persian rugs.

Woven in Persia in the Herati Tradition

The Herati pattern takes its name from Herat and has been woven across Persia for centuries, adopted by town and village looms alike because it is a disciplined design that rewards a steady, accurate weaver. This piece was knotted in Persia in that tradition: wool pile on a cotton warp and weft, tightly beaten down, with the back showing clean, regular rows of knots and no slack in the foundation. You can see it in the ruler photograph, where the knot rows sit straight and even and the selvages are wrapped tight in navy. Wool of this type takes dye deeply and wears slowly, which is why Herati rugs of this weight are still in service generations after they leave the loom. The pile here has never been walked on, so the buyer gets the full life of the wool from day one.