Grand Modern Persian Botemir Indian-Style Cotton Rug. Cranberry is the dominant color, with the entire field filled with tightly-woven repeating plant patterns. The border is lush with geometric twists and a rich red final border before the fringe that mirrors the cranberry center. A set of numbers written in pen on the fringe in one corner. 

Size: 69 x 108 in. 

#6804 . 

Botemir rugs are made within or in the surrounding area of Hamadan, which sits over a mile above sea level in Northwestern Iran. The principal element in this type of rug is the “Boteh” motif, an ancient highly-stylized shape resembling a cluster of leaves. Botemirs are usually arranged in rows, alternating their direction with each row. This design is now more than often incorporated in the famous Bakhtiari rugs, but another variant frequently referred to as Indian Botemir rugs uses an extremely tight repeating pattern throughout the entire main field, reflecting the diverse effect the original style has had on the many trading partners who frequented the region over the centuries. Most Botemir rugs come from Arak, formerly known as Sultanabad, one of the most important rug-producing cities in Iran. The towns of Ferahan, Lylyan, and Mahallat, principally constitute the urban area of the city, while the outlying suburban portions consist of Jozan, Malayer, Meshkabad, Mirabad, Sarough, Seraband, and many smaller Kurdish villages. Strong Kurdish influences can be seen in the weaving style, as well as traces of Turkish ancestry. The pile, typically vegetable-dyed wool, is hand-spun from the weaver’s own sheep, and woven using the Persian asymmetrical knot. Silk is rare in modern pieces, but more common in older rugs, and a wool-silk combination is used on occasion. The foundations are typically cotton, and sometimes goat hair, but the rugs are not coarse because of their extremely tight weave. The more monumental ones are often sought by collectors as well decorations, due to their less busy patterns than commonly found on rugs intended for the floor.