Carpet

The area in and around the town of Bijar, in northwestern Iran (also known as Iranian Kurdistan), was known in the 19^th and 20^th centuries as a center of carpet production. Bijar carpets tend to be sturdy and are often used as floor rugs. This example is more finely woven than most examples, however, and is also unusual for having a Persian inscription woven into four cartouches running along the borders. The Persian inscription reads: “Blessings be upon this writer, who may always be at peace and fortunate.” Couplets of Persian poetry or benedictory inscriptions are common found on some types of 19^th-century Persian carpets, but not on carpets from Bijar.