8'8" x 12'2" Persian Najafabad Rug | Red Field, Navy Border, Weeping Willow Spandrels | 1970s

This is a 1970s Najafabad woven in the Isfahan district of central Persia, a true room size piece that sits comfortably in the 9x12 class without the price of a signed city workshop rug. The field is a deep madder red, the main border a dark indigo, and the medallion is drawn in a cool blue grey that cuts cleanly against the red. The wool is dense and still carries a soft sheen in raking light, the handle is substantial, and the selvages and fringes are intact. It ships with a certificate of authenticity confirming it as a hand-knotted Persian rug.

Design and Motifs

The layout is the classic Najafabad formula: a central medallion over a densely drawn floral field, with large ivory spandrels at all 4 corners. The medallion itself is unusual and worth studying, a lobed blue grey cartouche enclosing a fine diagonal lattice filled with small 8 petal rosettes in orange, ivory and navy, framed by scrolling cloudband arms and pendant finials top and bottom. Around it the red ground is filled with palmettes, curling serrated leaves, boteh teardrops, small cypress and vase forms, and tight sprays of blossoms that repeat in mirrored pairs along the long axis. The ivory corner panels carry a weeping willow drawn in deep navy, its branches falling over a blue plinth, one of the more memorable motifs in this group and visible in close-up on the corner photographs. The main border runs an indigo ground with pink and red rosettes, cross-shaped medallions and a large flowering spray centered on each side, flanked by ivory and sky blue guard stripes with a repeating rosette and vine chain.

A Red and Indigo Palette With Cool Blue Relief

The field is a true madder red, warm rather than orange, and it holds its depth across the full 12'2" length with only the gentle abrash a natural dye bath produces. Against it the main border is a dark indigo that reads almost black at a distance and resolves into navy under light. The relief comes from the cool tones: the medallion in pale blue grey and slate, a sky blue guard stripe, and ivory spandrels that lift the 4 corners and keep the red from feeling heavy. Scattered through the field are soft rose and salmon pinks, buttery gold, a muted sage green in the leaf work, and small accents of burnt orange in the rosette centers. The ivory outlines around the palmettes give the drawing its crispness. In a room this palette does the work of a traditional red Persian rug while staying cooler and less formal than a straight red and navy Kashan.

Najafabad Weaving and the Isfahan Tradition

Najafabad is a weaving town a short distance west of Isfahan, and it works to the drawing tradition of its famous neighbor, curved line, flowing vine, balanced medallion, while weaving on a sturdier cotton foundation with a heavier wool pile meant for daily use. That combination is why these rugs are prized: the cartoons come out of the same design culture described in our complete guide to Isfahan rugs, but the construction is built to live under furniture rather than hang on a wall. The back of this piece shows even rows, a tidy knot count for village and small workshop work, and the firm handle you want in a rug of this scale. For buyers shopping 9x12 Persian rugs, a 1970s Najafabad in excellent condition is one of the last honest values left in that size.