Majid has been in the carpet industry in Australia since 1989. He has worked with various interior designers supplying floor coverings, and since opening his own business he has provided the perfect carpet for many satisfied customers.

Majid sources traditional and tribal pieces from Iran, including kilims and saddlebags. These pieces are individually chosen by him and are washed, and restored (if required) before being shipped to Australia.

All Majid's tribal rugs are sourced from the mountainous regions of Iran. They are made in the homes of villagers, and the tents of the nomadic tribal people using local wool and dyes. The carpets are designed by the artist who weaves them, and are made without following any written pattern. Rather, the weaver is guided by her imagination. Sizes range from 90x60 cm up to 400x300 cm.

Majid is also involved in the design and commission of hand-knotted carpets using antique patterns with hand spun wool and organic dyes. In consultation with interior designers, he has commissioned a range of carpets which blend the traditional and the contemporary. Majid regularly visits the weavers in centres along the famous Silk Road to continually appraise the quality of the carpets being made for him. This level of contact enables him to order carpets and runners on behalf of his customers, according to their specific needs.

Our contemporary rugs are inspired by late 19th Century Zeigler or Sultanabad designs. They are woven in Mazar-Sharif, in Afghanistan and Agra, in India.

Majid is happy to visit your home or office and offer design advice, and bring carpets for you to try before purchasing. Please ring or email to make an appointment for this service.

Materials used in Carpet making 

Wool
Sheep's wool is one of the basic elements in the carpet industry; it is usually used to weave the pile of a carpet. Many years ago some of the Hamedan and Balouch rugs were woven with camel wool.
Iranian sheep have thick wool and more than 60-70% of the wool is the hetro type species. This is a very suitable material for carpets as the warp is thick, coarse and strong. The quality of wool obtained from sheep raised in mild and mountainous areas is much better than that from sheep which are pastured in humid and low-lying grazing land. Also, the quality of wool sheared from sheep in the spring is always better than that sheared in the autumn.
Sheep's wool contains many external substances and these should be carefully separated before spinning. These substances consist of the fat in the wool (lanolin), the sweat and the urine. The dried wool also contains potassium and sodium salts, and water and ointments applied to the body of the animal to heal its wounds. To remove these substances, it is necessary to completely wash the wool. Then the water is thoroughly wrung out and the wool is spread on a clean area to dry. This operation can be carried out manually or at wool-washing factories that are equipped with mechanical apparatus. After the drying process, the spun and skinned wool is dyed. The spinning can be accomplished either by hand or by machinery.
In the latter case, a large quantity of wool is uniformly spun and twisted. Hand-spun wool is mostly used in the villages and in the quarters of the tribal carpet weavers
Kork wool
This term refers to the soft wool that grows close to the skin of sheep, goats and camels.
A comb is used to extract this fine wool which clings to the teeth of the comb. It is one of the principal elements from which fine and fairly expensive rugs are made.
Cotton
Cotton fibre has an important role in the carpet weaving industry and it has seen increased use for weaving the warp and weft of the carpet.
Moths are not attracted to cotton, so if the warp and weft of carpets are made of cotton, moths rarely cause holes. Cotton fibre is not suitable for making the pile of a rug.
Silk
Produced by the larva of a species of moth commonly called the silkworm; silk has been successfully cultivated in Iran. The finest silk for rug making traditionally comes from an area around the Caspian Sea. This region produces a type referred to as Rasht Silk, which is regarded as the best in the world.
Because of the high price of the raw material, the production of silk rugs has sharply decreased. Silk fibres can also be used to make the warp, weft and the pile of a carpet. When compared with wool fibres of equal diameter, they are much stronger. Generally speaking, of the 100% weight of the carpet nearly 16-20% is the warp, another 10-18% the weft and the balance, 50-70% is the weight of the pile of the carpet.

Famous designs in Persian rugs

Tree and Shrub design

In the 16th century Iranians artist introduced a new design called "Tree and Shrub", by combining the "medallion" pattern with shapes of animals and trees.
The finest carpet of this design is found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York. The Medallion of this carpet is in the form of a pool of fish, which is surrounded by trees and branches of beautiful flowers. Experts are of the opinion that all carpets of this category, which were woven in the 16^th, 17th and 18th centuries, originated in Kordestan and from parts of North - Western Iran. Lovely and exquisite samples of this design are also found in the Museum of Philadelphia.

 

Vase design in Persian rugs

The "Vase" pattern was probably created in the second half of the 16th century, corresponding with the reign of Shah Abbas. In this pattern, the field of the carpet is usually divided from side to side by rows of floral lozenges or some other geometrical frames, arranged in lattice forms.
Each individual design contains a vase or a bunch of flowers. In the same pattern, either a row of animals or hunters on horseback can be found.
The group of "vase" rugs is generally subdivided into Arabesque design, Serrated Leaf, Mehrab (arch), Goldan (vase), repeated Panels, and multiple Medallions.
Unlike the Medallion carpets, this pattern has a design which is woven in one direction.
Viewed from the opposite direction, the design appears inverted. Experts such as Kurt Erdmann and Charles Ellis believe that the design originated in Caucasia, but was perfected in Iran.
Arthur Pope believes that the pattern was created in Joshaghan (Central Iran).
Several samples of the "vase" design rugs are now kept in museums in New York, Hamburg, Paris, Milan, Vienna, and Tehran.

Majid has a masterpiece vase design silk rug (super-fine with 2500 knots per sq/ inch) in his collection, and its photo is displayed in: Gallery- classical rugs section.

Hunting scenery design rugs

A carpet of this design typically depicts hunting, with human figures (usually on horseback) or predatory animals pursuing their prey amidst a fertile undergrowth of various plant life.
Formal hunting scenes have their origins in the traditions of the Persian Shahs and other Royals, who loved to see themselves depicted as noble hunters and horsemen.
A small number of these carpets are connected to the Safavid period. These carpets were woven in Kashan. The finest of the remaining four larger carpets is kept in the museum in Osterreichisches, Vienna, Austria. It is extremely elegant, made entirely of silk and brocaded with silver and gold. The size is 6.80x3.20 m. and its knots number about 1.270.000 to each square metre.
Experts believe that Sultan Mahammad, the skilled painter of Shah Tahmasb's Court, who was a pupil of the celebrated Iranian painter Behzad, designed this incomparable piece.
These designs depict animals, including lion, deer, and wild donkey, pasturing amongst trees and bushes, with huntsmen on horseback or on foot, with bow and arrow.
 

Herati design

The Herati design derives its name from the city of Herat (which was part of Persia until the last century, but is now in Afghanistan).
The design is generally composed of a single floral head within a diamond framework, flanked by four outwardly curling leaves.

One of these carpets is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the other is in a Museum in Vienna.
"Herati" design rugs are closely associated with those from Khorassan, Kurdistan, Hamedan and Azerbaijan.

 

Garden design in Persian rugs

This design is based on the formal gardens of ancient Persia, with their abundance of flora separated by pathways and ornamental ponds.
They sometimes take the form of a palace garden seen from above, but more often a garden is simply implied by the presence of foliate forms.
In the classical Persian garden design, the field of the carpet is divided equally by channels of water into four sections; named "Chahar bagh" (four gardens). Usually, the centre medallion has the form of a pool containing fish and ducks. The water in the pool and channels is woven in pale blue and beige, and on the background of each square are woven birds and shrubs and a cluster of flowers.

Some of these carpets are woven in the shape of a Mehrab (gateway to heaven), and in the others the background has been divided into six sections.
Garden designs are most closely associated with the Kerman weavers of southern Persia and date back to the 17th and early 18th centuries. Iran is situated in a dry arid region, and in many regions there is a seemingly endless expanse of desert or mountains. All the lovely designs which are seen in Persian carpets, such as streams, pools, gardens with trees and birds, are an attempt to bring the lush beauty of nature into their lives.