Mashad..Circa:1950

Hand Knotted

Made in Iran

Circa 1950

Mashads can be compared to those of Kerman and Isfahan, but are distinguishable by the use of a different shade of red - a purplish red derived from cochineal rather than madder which is more usual elsewhere. The Designs are as intricate as those of Kerman, though, like Isfahan carpets, they are based ultimately on classical prototypes. They are often signed, in a cartouche in the middle of the border at one end. A peculiarity of Mashad carpets is that they often introduce a narrow band at the end when they begin to weave, with all the colors they plan to use. The most famous weaver, working at the turn of the century, was Amoghli. Mashad derives its name from the Arabic 'Al-Mashad' - mausoleum; this gives us a hint of as to the origins of the city- it is an important place of Shi'a pilgrimage. It contains the tombs of the Imam Reza, and of Harun-al-Rashid, patron of Omar Khayam. Its mosque, with its tomb chamber surmounted by a gilded dome and line inside with mirror glass, is only one of the countless ancient buildings dating from the sixteenth century or earlier: there are colleges, bath houses, caravanserais, mausoleums etc. Since the city, with its population of perhaps two million, is situated close to the Afghan frontier, the population is mixed and includes Afghans, Turkmens, Indians and Jews.

Although now near the frontier, Mashad's position was at one time more central, when the Persian Empire extended further east. It was part of a network of cities extending into central Asia: Merv, Tashkent, Samarkand and Herat.