Bijar rug

• Bijar

Although the small Kurdish town of Bijar in the province of Kermanshah has hardly ten thousand inhabitants , the high quality of its carpets has gained it an international reputation . Concern for this reputation for high quality , has led to the clear distinction between the products of the Bijar town workshops and the Tekab – Bijar , which are woven by an Afshari tribe who are settled in the area . The characteristic weft technique used in the Bijar area has led to the term ‘ Bijar – structure ‘ to describe the use of a single weft shoot , thick and tautly stretched after every row of knots . The strong tension of the weft pulls the warps into two layers , giving the carpet great rigidity , although if handled carelessly or folded , it will crack and tear . Carpets with a Bijar structure ( other areas too use the Bijar structure ) must therefore be rolled for transport ( larger pieces may be rolled around a tube ) . Sizes : all sizes , especially from about 1 * 1.50 m ( 3 ft . 3 in . x 5 ft . ) upwards . Large pieces of over 12 sq . m ( 130 sq . ft . ) are common . Runners are relatively rare . Colours : ground colours are harmonious , a product of the blending of subtle pattern shades.Dark blue and a strong red predominate ; brown and yellow are also used but green is rare . Some old Bijars are woven with combinations of light and dark blue . Patterns : medallion designs are common , as are boteh , Herati and mina khani designs in endless repeats often with multiple borders or guard stripes . Foundation : warps are of cotton or , less frequently , goat’s wool ; wefts are cotton and both warp and weft yarns are tightly spun . In old and antique pieces warps and wefts are of wool . Knots : the weave is in the Turkish knot , medium fine to fine , with knot counts of 1,500-2,500 knots per sq . dm ( 100-160 per sq . in . ) . Persian knotted pieces are also found in otherwise similar structures . Pile : a very dense hard pile , cut medium to high , although old and antique finely woven pieces tend to be clipped lower . Quality : Bijar carpets are counted among the best Oriental carpets for everyday use with an extremely tough and rigid handle . Modern Bijar workshop carpets are still of excellent design and construction .