8' x 8'10" Persian Nain Rug | Wool and Silk Ivory Domed Medallion | 1980s Near Square

Very few Nains come off the loom in a near square format, and this one measures 8' x 8'10", only 10 inches longer than it is wide, which is exactly what makes it useful in rooms where a standard 8x10 sits wrong. It was woven in the 1980s on a cotton foundation with a wool pile lifted by silk, and the silk is doing real work here: it outlines the vine scrolls and lights the center of the medallion so the drawing reads sharply against a soft ivory ground. The pile is full and even across the whole field, the sides and ends are sound, and the original dealer tag is still attached to the back. Buyers who want the background on this weaving group can read our guide to Persian Nain rugs before deciding. Every rug we ship carries a certificate of authenticity identifying origin, materials and construction.

Design and Motifs

The center holds a round domed medallion built from concentric rings of small cartouches and heart shaped petals, tightening toward a tiny blue and pink rosette at the exact middle. There are no heavy pendants hanging off the medallion, which keeps the composition calm and lets the field do the talking. Out from the medallion the ivory ground carries a full arabesque system: thick curling vines that swing in long C shapes, split palmettes, budding lotus heads and small 8 petal rosettes strung along thin stems. The drawing is mirrored across both axes, so the near square format reads balanced from whichever side you approach it. The main border repeats a rhythm of palmettes and rose sprays on an ivory ground, framed inside and out by narrow guard stripes of small flowerheads, and the corners resolve cleanly rather than cutting a motif in half, which is the mark of a properly drafted cartoon.

A Study in Ivory and Blue

The field is a warm ivory, closer to unbleached cream than white, with a faint honey cast where the light catches the pile. Every line on top of it is blue, and the blue is layered: deep navy for the vine outlines and the darkest flower centers, a mid denim blue for the leaves, and a pale sky blue used in small touches inside the medallion rings and the border flowers. Beige and soft salmon build the petal cartouches around the medallion core, brown runs through the stems and a few of the larger leaves, and small notes of light pink and burgundy appear in the rosettes and in the border sprays. Touches of muted green sit in the leaf tips. The overall effect is neutral and quiet from standing height, then far more colorful up close, which is why this ivory and blue palette works against wood floors, stone, and greige or taupe upholstery without fighting anything already in the room.

Woven in Nain, Central Persia

Nain sits on the desert edge east of Isfahan, and its weavers only turned to rugs in the 20th century, after the town's fine wool cloth trade declined. They brought that textile discipline to the loom, which is why a good Nain is judged on precision rather than drama: thin knots, exact curves, and silk used as a drawing tool instead of a luxury. Fineness in this group is graded by the number of threads in each warp bundle, the La system explained in our feature on Nain 6La and Habibian weaving, and the tight back on this piece shows a knot count well above village work. The result is a rug with the resolution of a workshop carpet and the restraint of a townhouse floor covering, made to be walked on for generations.