Rug Encyclopedia · Persian City Weaving
A Qum rug is a fine Persian city rug from Qom in central Iran — a young weaving centre that, in barely a century, rose to produce some of the most intricate and finely knotted rugs in the country. You know one by its jewel-toned, densely drawn designs and, at its finest, the unmistakable sheen of silk.
Origin: Qom (Qum), central Iran — a genuine Persian city rug · Age of the centre: young, largely 20th-century onward · Material: fine wool, wool-and-silk, or full silk pile on cotton or silk foundation · Knot: asymmetrical Persian (Senneh) · Density: very high — Qum is prized for fineness · Designs: central medallion, all-over floral, garden panel ("khesti"), pictorial, boteh · Palette: ivory, jewel blues & reds, gold, green · Sizes: small formats predominate; silk pieces are prized collectors' rugs.
- What is a Qum rug?
- What makes a rug a "Qum"
- Hand-knotted vs power-loomed
- Where Qum rugs come from
- Designs & motifs
- Silk vs wool-and-silk vs wool
- Construction & specs
- Sizes
- How to spot an authentic Qum
- Qum vs Isfahan vs Nain
- How to choose a Qum
- Care & maintenance
- Value & the Arteverk Value Ladder
- FAQ
What is a Qum rug?
A Qum rug (also spelled Qom) is a hand-knotted Persian rug woven in the city of Qom, about 90 miles south of Tehran in central Iran. Unlike the great historic centres such as Tabriz or Kashan, Qom did not weave rugs commercially until the 20th century — yet in that short time it became a byword for fineness. Qom weavers specialise in dense, intricate drawing at very high knot counts, and above all in silk: full-silk Qums, and wool piles lifted with silk highlights, are among the most sought-after Persian rugs woven today. The name marks a genuine Persian city of origin, not merely a design style borrowed elsewhere.
What makes a rug a "Qum"?
- Exceptional fineness. Qum is defined by density and detail — very high knot counts that let weavers render curvilinear florals, gardens and pictorial scenes with precision most coarser rugs cannot approach.
- Silk, at its finest. Qums range from fine wool through wool-and-silk to full silk pile. It is the silk work — lustrous, colour-shifting with the light — that made the city's reputation.
- Intricate, jewel-toned drawing. Central medallions, all-over florals, garden panels and pictorials in ivory, jewel blues and reds, gold and green — richly detailed rather than boldly geometric.
- One of a kind. Each hand-knotted Qum is woven by hand from a design cartoon; no two are truly identical, and silk pieces are collected as individual works.
Hand-knotted Qum vs power-loomed — read this before you buy
The single most important thing to check when buying a Qum is how it was made. Two rugs can share the same jewel-toned medallion and look alike at a glance, yet be completely different objects — and we label them honestly.
Hand-knotted Qum
Tied by hand, knot by knot, in fine wool, wool-and-silk, or full silk — a genuine Persian rug woven in Qom, Iran, and one of a kind. It ages beautifully, can be repaired, and a fine silk piece is a genuine collector's asset. This is the heart of our Qum collection.
Power-loomed "Qum-style"
Machine-woven with a Qum-look design, often in synthetic or mercerised-cotton "art silk." A budget way to get the look, but it is not hand-knotted, not woven in Iran, and won't wear, age, or hold value the same way. We always label it power-loomed, never "hand-knotted" or "silk."
Both are honest choices — they just aren't the same thing. To know which you're getting, check the Construction and Material fields on each product page; they state hand-knotted or power-loomed, and wool, wool-and-silk or silk, plainly. See our guide to power-loomed rugs if that is what you are after.
Where do Qum rugs come from?
Qum rugs come from Qom, a holy city in central Iran and one of Shia Islam's most important religious centres. Rug weaving arrived there remarkably late: commercial production only took hold in the 1930s, drawing on master designs and techniques imported from older centres such as Kashan, Isfahan and Tabriz. What Qom lacked in age it made up for in ambition — its weavers pursued the finest end of the market from the start, concentrating on high knot density and, increasingly, on silk. Within a few decades Qom silk rugs had become collectors' pieces and diplomatic gifts. A modern Qum is not a faded provincial weave; it is a young tradition that chose, deliberately, to compete at the very top of Persian rug-making.
Qum designs & motifs
Because Qom's weavers borrowed from every classical Persian centre, the city has no single signature layout — instead it draws the whole Persian repertoire, finely. These are the designs you will meet most often.
- Central medallion — a single ornate medallion floating on an open or floral field, the classic Persian city composition.
- All-over floral — repeating vines, palmettes and blossoms covering the whole field edge to edge, with no dominant centre.
- Garden panel ("khesti") — the field divided into a grid of small panels, each holding its own flower, tree or scene — a stylised Persian paradise garden.
- Pictorial — figurative scenes: hunting grounds, birds and animals, trees of life, or scenes drawn from Persian poetry and legend.
- Boteh (paisley) — the teardrop seed-and-flame motif, repeated in rows or scattered across the field.
Silk, wool-and-silk, or wool?
Qums are honestly a spectrum of materials, and the material drives both the look and the value. It pays to know which you are looking at.
- Full silk — pile and often foundation in natural silk. The finest, lightest, most luminous Qums, with colours that shift as you move around them. These are the collectors' pieces, usually in small formats.
- Wool-and-silk — a wool pile with silk used to highlight medallions, florals or borders, so the accents catch the light against a matte wool ground. A middle path that many find the most versatile.
- Fine wool — a high-quality wool pile, often on a cotton foundation, drawn at Qom's characteristic fineness. More durable underfoot and more forgiving than silk, while keeping the intricate Qom drawing.
How are Qum rugs made?
Qums are hand-knotted with the asymmetrical Persian (Senneh) knot, which suits the curved, flowing lines of floral and pictorial designs. The foundation is cotton on wool pieces and often silk on full-silk pieces. Knot density is high — fineness is the whole point of a Qum — which is why the drawing can carry so much detail and why silk Qums in particular are woven slowly, over many months, in small sizes.
| Wool Qum | Silk / wool-and-silk Qum | |
|---|---|---|
| Knot type | Asymmetrical (Persian / Senneh) | Asymmetrical (Persian / Senneh) |
| Knot density | High — fine drawing | Very high — the finest Qums |
| Pile | Fine wool | Silk, or wool with silk highlights |
| Foundation | Cotton | Cotton or silk |
| Typical use | Floor rug, durable | Collector's piece, gentle use / display |
Material and fineness are quality grades within the same craft. A wool, a wool-and-silk and a full-silk Qum all sit inside the Qum collection as expressions of the same city's weaving.
What sizes do Qum rugs come in?
| Category | Typical dimensions | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Mat / small scatter | 1'×1'6" to 2'×3' | Display, framing, wall art, layering |
| Scatter | 2'6"×4' to 3'6"×5' | Bedside, entryways, accents |
| Runner | 2.5'×8' to 3'×12' | Hallways, galleries |
| Area (small) | 4'×6' to 6'×9' | Seating areas, smaller rooms |
| Area (standard) | 7'×10' to 9'×12' | Living and dining rooms (rarer in silk) |
Small formats predominate, especially in silk — a full-silk Qum represents so many months of work that large sizes are uncommon and correspondingly precious. Fringe is part of the foundation and is never counted in the stated dimensions. If you need a particular size, ask us; we hold pieces in inventory beyond what is listed online.
How can you tell if a Qum is authentic and hand-knotted?
- Read the back. The pattern shows clearly on the reverse and individual knots are visible and very fine. A uniform, gridded, or glued back means machine-made.
- Test the "silk" honestly. Real silk is warm to the touch, lightweight, and glows differently as you shift your view. Much "art silk" is mercerised cotton or synthetic — shinier but flat, cooler, and heavier. A burn test on a single fringe tuft (real silk smells of burnt hair and leaves brittle ash; cotton smells of burnt paper) is the traditional check — but ask a specialist rather than risk the rug.
- Look for the Persian knot. Slight knot-to-knot irregularity is correct; perfect machine uniformity is not.
- Feel the weight and drape. A genuine silk Qum is light and supple; a synthetic copy feels stiff or plasticky.
- Check the fringe. On an authentic rug the fringe is the warp of the foundation — not a separate strip sewn or glued on.
- Accept small irregularities. A hand-drawn medallion that isn't perfectly mirror-symmetric is a human weaver's mark, not a defect.
Qum vs Isfahan vs Nain
| Qum | Isfahan | Nain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Qom, central Iran | Isfahan, central Iran | Nain, central Iran |
| Weaving centre age | Young (20th c.) | Ancient, revived early 20th c. | Young (20th c.) |
| Knot | Asymmetrical (Persian) | Asymmetrical (Persian) | Asymmetrical (Persian) |
| Signature material | Silk, wool-and-silk, fine wool | Fine wool with silk highlights on silk warp | Fine wool with silk highlights |
| Palette | Wide jewel tones; also ivory grounds | Ivory, deep blue, rich red | Ivory, blue, restrained |
| Feel | Finest silk work; varied designs | Classical, formal, museum-grade | Soft, pale, understated |
Qum, Isfahan and Nain are the three most cross-shopped fine Persian city rugs. All three use the Persian knot at high density; the split is emphasis — Qum leans hardest into silk and design variety, Isfahan into classical formality, Nain into pale, restrained palettes.
How to choose a Qum rug
- Decide on material first. Full silk for a luminous collector's piece and display; wool-and-silk for a versatile rug with silk sparkle; fine wool for something you can live on daily.
- Match the size to the role. Silk Qums shine as small statement pieces, wall art, or on low-traffic floors; a fine-wool Qum can take a real room.
- Pick a design that fits the space. A single medallion reads calm and formal; an all-over floral or garden panel is busier and more immersive; a pictorial is a conversation piece.
- Buy the individual rug, not a stock photo. Because every hand-knotted Qum is unique, insist on seeing the exact piece you'll receive.
- Confirm the labelling. The material and construction should be stated plainly — silk called silk, wool called wool, hand-knotted called hand-knotted.
Care & maintenance of a fine or silk Qum
- Be gentle. Silk and fine wool are delicate — vacuum with low suction and no beater bar, in the direction of the pile, and never vacuum the fringe. For pure silk, a light shake or soft brush is often enough.
- Rotate every 6–12 months to even out light exposure and any foot traffic.
- Use a rug pad to cushion the knots and reduce slippage on hard floors.
- Blot spills immediately with a clean white cloth, working inward. No harsh detergents, no bleach, and never scrub silk.
- Keep out of direct sun. Silk in particular can fade with prolonged sunlight — position away from strong, constant light.
- Deep-clean with a silk specialist only. Never machine-wash or steam a silk Qum; use a professional who hand-cleans silk. See our rug care guide.
Are Qum rugs a good investment? The Arteverk Value Ladder
Fine silk Qums are established collector assets — light, portable, and traded internationally — while fine-wool and wool-and-silk Qums offer intricate Persian craft as lasting value rather than speculation. Higher knot density, genuine silk, finer drawing, cleaner condition and provenance push value up; synthetic "art silk," repairs and heavy wear push it down. Every rug we appraise is read against our six-rung Value Ladder — use it as your own checklist. For current pricing across materials and sizes, see the Qum collection.
Hand-knotted Qums in stock
Hand-Knotted Qum, Wool & Silk
One of a kind
Hand-Knotted Qum, Wool
One of a kind
Hand-Knotted Qum, Wool
One of a kindWhy buy your Qum rug from Arteverk?
- Real makers, real curators. Arteverk is run by the Malik family — third-generation weavers and curators who commission, curate, and restore hand-knotted rugs woven in origin workshops.
- The exact piece you see. Every hand-knotted Qum is photographed as the single, one-of-a-kind rug you'll receive — never a stand-in image.
- Honest labeling. A genuine Persian rug woven in Qom, Iran, with material stated accurately — silk called silk, wool called wool; any power-loomed piece is labeled power-loomed, never "hand-knotted."
Find your Qum rug
Browse our hand-knotted Qum rugs, or tell us your size, material and colors and we'll hand-pick a few one-of-a-kind pieces for you.
Frequently asked questions about Qum rugs
What is a Qum rug?
A Qum (also spelled Qom) rug is a fine hand-knotted Persian rug woven in the city of Qom in central Iran. Though Qom only began weaving commercially in the 20th century, it quickly became known for very fine, densely knotted rugs — especially in silk and wool-and-silk — with intricate, jewel-toned floral, medallion and pictorial designs.
Are Qum rugs silk?
Many of the finest are, but not all. Qums range across a spectrum: full-silk pile, wool pile with silk highlights, and fine all-wool. The full-silk pieces are the ones that made the city famous and are prized by collectors. At Arteverk the material — silk, wool-and-silk, or wool — is stated plainly on every product page.
Why are Qum rugs so valuable?
Because of fineness and material. Qum weavers work at very high knot densities and, at the top end, in natural silk, so a single rug can take many months to weave. Fine silk Qums are light, luminous, internationally traded collector's pieces. Fine-wool and wool-and-silk Qums offer the same intricate craft as durable, lasting value.
Are Qum rugs hand-knotted?
Authentic Qum rugs are hand-knotted, tied knot by knot with the asymmetrical Persian knot on a cotton or silk foundation. Machine-made "Qum-style" rugs exist and are usually synthetic or mercerised-cotton "art silk"; at Arteverk any such piece is clearly labeled power-loomed, and genuine Qums are 100% hand-knotted.
What is the difference between a Qum and an Isfahan rug?
Both are fine Persian city rugs using the Persian knot at high density. Qom is a younger centre that leans hardest into silk and the widest range of designs — florals, gardens, pictorials. Isfahan is an ancient centre known for classical, formal compositions in fine wool on a silk warp with ivory, deep blue and rich red palettes.
How much do Qum rugs cost?
It varies widely by material, fineness and size — a fine-wool scatter and a full-silk collector's piece sit far apart. Rather than quote figures here, see current pricing across materials and sizes on the Qum collection.
What sizes do Qum rugs come in?
Small formats predominate, especially in silk — from mats and scatters through runners and small area sizes. Larger silk Qums are uncommon and correspondingly precious because of the months of work involved. Fringe is part of the foundation and is never counted in the stated dimensions.
How do I clean a silk Qum rug?
Very gently. Vacuum with low suction and no beater bar, or simply shake or soft-brush a pure-silk piece, and avoid the fringe. Blot spills immediately with a clean white cloth and never scrub or bleach silk. Keep it out of direct sun, and for deep cleaning use a professional who hand-cleans silk — never a machine wash or steam.
How can you tell real silk from fake silk in a Qum?
Real silk is warm to the touch, lightweight, supple, and glows and shifts colour as you change your viewing angle. Much fake "art silk" is mercerised cotton or synthetic — shinier but flat, cooler and stiffer. The traditional burn test (real silk smells of burnt hair and leaves brittle ash; cotton smells of burnt paper) is definitive, but have a specialist verify rather than risk the rug.
What colors do Qum rugs come in?
Qums use a wide, jewel-toned Persian palette — ivory and cream grounds, jewel blues and reds, gold, and green are all common. Silk pieces are especially luminous because the pile catches and shifts the light, so the same rug can read differently as you move around it.
