Abadeh Rugs

Abadeh sits between Isfahan and Shiraz, and its rugs sit between the two traditions as well: village-workshop discipline applied to tribal motifs. The standard composition is a firm diamond medallion in the centre of an open field, with geometric corner pieces and, scattered around the medallion, the stylised trees, birds, peacocks and small quadrupeds that the region is known for.

The best-known variant is Heybatlu, named after a village, in which the animals and the vase-and-tree motifs are worked more densely and the drawing is tighter. Colour is confident: madder red and indigo grounds, ivory for the drawing, and accents of green and gold.

Construction is the reason these rugs travel so well. A cotton foundation, a regular medium knot, and a dense short pile give an Abadeh a flat, firm handle that lies still and wears evenly. They are made mostly in small and medium sizes, and they are one of the better ways to put a genuinely tribal drawing into a room that needs the rug to behave.