Rug Encyclopedia · Persian City Weaving
A Kashmar rug is a finely drawn Persian city rug from Kashmar, in the Khorasan region of north-east Iran — a refined, decorative weave known for elegant floral fields, central medallions, and celebrated pictorial scenes. You know one by its flowing, precisely rendered design, its rich-but-refined palette of soft reds, blues, greens and ivory, and its supple kork-wool pile on a cotton foundation.
Design origin: Kashmar, Khorasan province, north-east Iran · Weave type: Persian city rug — finely drawn floral, medallion & pictorial designs · Material: fine kork (lamb's) wool pile on a cotton foundation · Knot: asymmetrical Persian knot, good knot density · Handle: supple, refined, medium pile · Palette: soft reds, blues, greens and ivory — rich but restrained · Sizes: scatter & runners through generous room sizes to oversize & palace, 12'×15' and larger.
- What is a Kashmar rug?
- What makes a rug a "Kashmar"
- Hand-knotted vs power-loomed
- Where Kashmar rugs come from
- Designs & motifs
- Colors & wool
- Construction & spec
- Sizes
- How to spot an authentic Kashmar
- Kashmar vs Mashad vs Tabriz
- How to choose a Kashmar
- Care & maintenance
- Value & the Arteverk Value Ladder
- FAQ
What is a Kashmar rug?
A Kashmar rug is a hand-knotted Persian city rug woven in and around the town of Kashmar in Khorasan, the large province of north-east Iran. It belongs to the tradition of finely drawn Persian floral weaving — not the bold tribal geometry of the Caucasus, but the elegant, flowing curvilinear style of the Persian workshop. Weavers build it on a cotton foundation with the asymmetrical Persian knot, then clip a fine kork-wool pile to a medium height so the drawing reads with clarity. Two things distinguish a Kashmar on sight: the design is precise and graceful — flowing floral fields, a central medallion, or a fully realized pictorial scene — and the color is rich yet refined, soft reds and blues and greens balanced against ivory rather than shouted. Above all, Kashmar is celebrated for its pictorial rugs: garden scenes, hunting scenes, and the famous "Four Seasons" compositions that read almost like a woven painting.
What makes a rug a "Kashmar"?
- Finely drawn, elegant design. Flowing floral fields, graceful central medallions and precisely rendered curvilinear detail — refined and decorative rather than blocky or tribal.
- A pictorial tradition. Kashmar is especially known for pictorial rugs — garden, hunting and "Four Seasons" scenes — woven with a painterly level of detail few Persian towns attempt.
- Rich but restrained color. Soft reds, blues, greens and ivory in balanced, harmonious tones — luxurious without being loud.
- Fine kork wool, supple handle. A soft, lustrous lamb's-wool pile on a cotton foundation at good knot density, giving a refined feel underfoot.
- One of a kind. Each hand-knotted Kashmar is woven by hand; no two are identical.
Hand-knotted Kashmar vs power-loomed — read this before you buy
The single most important thing to check when buying a Kashmar is how it was made. Two rugs can share the same elegant floral design and look alike, yet be completely different objects — and we label them honestly.
Hand-knotted Kashmar
Tied by hand, knot by knot, in fine kork wool — hand-knotted in Iran, and one of a kind. It ages beautifully, can be repaired, and is an heirloom. This is the heart of our Kashmar collection.
Power-loomed Kashmar
Machine-woven with a Kashmar-style design. A budget-friendly way to get the look, but it is not hand-knotted, not one-of-a-kind, and won't wear or age the same way. We always label it power-loomed, never "hand-knotted."
Both are honest choices — they just aren't the same thing. To know which you're getting, check the Construction field on each product page; it states hand-knotted or power-loomed plainly. See our guide to power-loomed rugs if that is what you are after.
Where do Kashmar rugs come from?
Kashmar rugs come from the town of Kashmar, in the Khorasan region of north-east Iran — a part of the country with one of the deepest Persian weaving traditions, anchored historically by the great workshop city of Mashad. Kashmar sits within that Khorasan orbit and developed its own refined, decorative style: finely drawn floral and medallion rugs, and above all the pictorial pieces for which the name became known. Compared with the older, tribal weaving of the Caucasus or the village rugs of western Iran, a Kashmar is a city rug — designed on paper, worked at good knot density, and finished with a supple, elegant hand. It is Persian weaving at its most decorative and controlled, made in generous room sizes for the well-appointed interior.
Designs & motifs
Kashmar draws on the full Persian floral vocabulary, but its signature is the pictorial rug — a scene composed and woven with painterly care.
- Floral field — flowing all-over florals, palmettes, vine scrolls and blossoms rendered in fine curvilinear detail.
- Central medallion — a graceful medallion-and-corner layout, the classic Persian city arrangement, drawn with elegant precision.
- Pictorial / garden scenes — the Kashmar specialty: gardens, birds, cypress trees and blossoming borders composed as a single woven picture.
- Hunting scenes — figures, horses and animals set in a landscape, in the grand Persian hunting-carpet tradition.
- "Four Seasons" — the celebrated Kashmar composition dividing the field into panels that depict village and garden life across the year.
Whatever the layout, the constant is refinement: clean drawing, balanced color, and a decorative elegance that suits formal and transitional interiors alike.
Colors & wool
- Red — soft, warm madder-family reds; a common field or medallion color, rich rather than harsh.
- Blue — indigo tones from navy through mid-blue, the classic partner to Persian red.
- Green — restrained greens used in gardens, borders and foliage, a refined accent.
- Ivory & cream — undyed and lightly dyed wool that opens up the field and makes the drawing read.
Kork wool is what gives a fine Kashmar its character: kork is the soft, fine wool taken from the lamb's underbelly and shoulder, prized for its luster and its ability to hold fine detail. Knotted on a cotton foundation and clipped to a medium pile, it gives the rug a supple, refined handle and a gentle sheen that deepens with age.
How are Kashmar rugs made?
Kashmars are hand-knotted with the asymmetrical Persian knot on a cotton foundation, at good knot density, using fine kork wool for the pile. The Persian knot suits the flowing, curvilinear drawing — it lets the weaver render fine floral and pictorial detail that the coarser symmetrical knot cannot. The result is a refined city rug: precise, decorative and supple, built for elegant interiors rather than rough village floors.
| Attribute | Standard Kashmar | Fine Kashmar / pictorial |
|---|---|---|
| Knot type | Asymmetrical (Persian) | Asymmetrical (Persian) |
| Knot density | Good, medium-high | Higher, for fine detail |
| Drawing | Floral field or medallion | Pictorial — garden, hunting, Four Seasons |
| Pile | Fine kork wool, medium pile | Selected fine kork wool |
| Foundation | Cotton | Cotton |
"Fine Kashmar" and "pictorial Kashmar" describe grade and design, not a separate origin or collection. They sit inside the Kashmar collection as pieces of the same Khorasan craft.
What sizes do Kashmar rugs come in?
| Category | Typical dimensions | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Scatter / small | 2'×3' to 4'×6' | Entryways, bedside, layering |
| Runner | 2.5'×8' to 3'×14' | Hallways, galley kitchens, staircases |
| Area (small) | 5'×7' to 6'×9' | Seating areas, smaller living rooms |
| Area (standard) | 8'×10' to 9'×12' | Living and dining rooms |
| Oversize | 10'×14' to 12'×15' | Great rooms, open-plan living |
| Palace | 12'×18', 14'×20' and larger | Grand halls, double-height & commercial spaces |
Fringe is part of the foundation and is never counted in the stated dimensions. Kashmars are often woven in generous room sizes, and Arteverk carries oversize and palace pieces — 12'×15' and up — including rugs held in inventory beyond what's currently listed online, so ask us if you need a specific large size.
How can you tell if a Kashmar is authentic and hand-knotted?
- Read the back. The pattern shows clearly on the reverse and individual knots are visible. A uniform, gridded, or glued back means machine-made.
- Look for the Persian knot. Slight knot-to-knot irregularity is correct; perfect machine uniformity is not. Fine, dense knotting supports the detailed drawing.
- Feel the wool. Fine kork wool feels soft, lustrous and slightly uneven; synthetic feels plasticky and flat.
- Check the detail. Genuine pictorial and floral Kashmars show crisp, hand-drawn detail with subtle color shifts, not the dead-flat repetition of a print.
- Check the fringe. On an authentic rug the fringe is the warp — not a separate strip sewn or glued on.
- Accept small irregularities. A hand-drawn medallion or scene that isn't perfectly mirror-symmetric is a human weaver's mark, not a defect.
Kashmar vs Mashad vs Tabriz
| Kashmar | Mashad | Tabriz | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Kashmar, Khorasan (NE Iran) | Mashad, Khorasan (NE Iran) | Tabriz, Azerbaijan (NW Iran) |
| Knot | Asymmetrical (Persian) | Asymmetrical (Persian) | Asymmetrical, often very fine |
| Design | Floral, medallion & pictorial | Large medallion, dense florals | Medallion, florals, pictorial; wide range |
| Signature | Refined pictorial & Four Seasons scenes | Rich reds, grand scale | Precision drawing, very high knot counts |
| Palette | Soft reds, blues, greens, ivory | Deep madder red, navy | Wide, from soft to saturated |
All three are fine Persian city rugs. Kashmar and Mashad share the Khorasan region and its rich reds; Kashmar tends toward the more refined, pictorial and decorative end. Tabriz, from the north-west, is the benchmark for precision and very high knot counts across an enormous range of designs.
How to choose a Kashmar rug
| If you want… | Look for |
|---|---|
| A statement centerpiece | A pictorial or Four Seasons Kashmar in a generous room size |
| A versatile decorative rug | A floral-field or central-medallion Kashmar in soft red, blue or ivory |
| Maximum fineness & detail | A fine Kashmar at higher knot density in selected kork wool |
| A large, formal room | An oversize or palace Kashmar, 12'×15' and up |
| Long-term value | Fine kork wool, natural-looking color, clean drawing and good density |
Match the design to the room first, then the size, then the fineness. If you're unsure, tell us your dimensions and palette and we'll hand-pick a few one-of-a-kind pieces from the Kashmar collection.
Care & maintenance
- Vacuum weekly, gently — suction without a hard beater bar, in the direction of the pile. Never vacuum the fringe.
- Rotate every 6–12 months to even out sun fading and foot traffic.
- Use a rug pad to reduce slippage and cushion the knots against grit.
- Blot spills immediately with a clean white cloth, outside in. No harsh detergents or bleach.
- Keep out of constant direct sun — natural dyes are stable but not sun-proof.
- Deep-clean professionally with a wool hand-wash specialist. See our rug care guide.
Are Kashmar rugs a good investment? The Arteverk Value Ladder
Fine hand-knotted Kashmars are durable, decorative value with genuine heirloom potential rather than speculation. Higher knot density, finer kork wool, natural-looking color, larger sizes, cleaner drawing — and a well-executed pictorial scene — push value up; wear, repairs and synthetic dyes push it down. Every rug we appraise is read against our six-rung Value Ladder — use it as your own checklist. For current selection across sizes, see the Kashmar collection.
Hand-knotted Kashmars in stock
Hand-Knotted Kashmar
One of a kind
Hand-Knotted Kashmar
One of a kind
Hand-Knotted Kashmar
One of a kindWhy buy your Kashmar 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 Kashmar is photographed as the single, one-of-a-kind rug you'll receive — never a stand-in image.
- Honest labeling. Persian Khorasan in origin, stated plainly; any power-loomed piece is labeled power-loomed, never "hand-knotted."
Find your Kashmar rug
Browse our hand-knotted Kashmar rugs, or tell us your size and colors and we'll hand-pick a few one-of-a-kind pieces for you.
Frequently asked questions about Kashmar rugs
What is a Kashmar rug?
A Kashmar rug is a hand-knotted Persian city rug from the town of Kashmar in the Khorasan region of north-east Iran. It is known for finely drawn floral and medallion designs and, especially, for pictorial rugs — garden, hunting and "Four Seasons" scenes — in a rich but refined palette, woven in fine kork wool on a cotton foundation.
Where are Kashmar rugs from?
Kashmar rugs are from Kashmar, a town in Khorasan province in north-east Iran — the same deep Persian weaving region as the workshop city of Mashad. They are Persian city rugs, designed on paper and worked at good knot density with an elegant, decorative hand.
Are Kashmar rugs hand-knotted?
Authentic, traditional Kashmar rugs are hand-knotted wool, tied knot by knot with the asymmetrical Persian knot on a cotton foundation. At Arteverk, hand-knotted Kashmars are the heart of the collection; any power-loomed Kashmar-design rug is clearly labeled power-loomed. The Construction field on each product page states which it is.
What is a pictorial rug?
A pictorial rug is one that depicts a scene rather than a repeating pattern — a garden, a hunting scene, figures, birds or landscapes woven like a picture. Kashmar is one of the Persian towns most celebrated for pictorial weaving, including its famous "Four Seasons" compositions.
What is the difference between a Kashmar and a Mashad rug?
Both are fine Persian city rugs from the Khorasan region and share its rich reds and Persian knot. Mashad tends toward large medallions, dense florals and a grand scale in deep madder red; Kashmar tends toward the more refined, decorative and pictorial end, and is especially known for garden and "Four Seasons" scenes.
How much do Kashmar rugs cost?
Modern hand-knotted Kashmars vary by size, knot density, wool quality and design — a fine pictorial piece in a large size sits above a simpler floral scatter. For current selection and pricing across sizes, see the Kashmar collection.
What sizes do Kashmar rugs come in?
From small scatters (2'×3') and runners through standard area sizes (8'×10' to 9'×12') up to oversize and palace pieces of 12'×15' and larger. Kashmars are often woven in generous room sizes. Fringe is never counted in the stated dimensions.
How do I clean a Kashmar rug?
Vacuum weekly without a beater bar and avoid the fringe, rotate every 6–12 months, use a rug pad, and blot spills immediately with a clean white cloth. For deep cleaning, use a specialist who hand-washes wool rather than a general steam service.
How can I tell if a Kashmar is authentic?
Read the back — the pattern and individual knots should be visible, not a gridded or glued backing. Look for fine Persian knotting, soft lustrous kork wool, crisp hand-drawn detail with subtle color shifts, and a fringe that is the rug's own warp rather than a sewn-on strip.
What colors do Kashmar rugs come in?
Kashmars use a rich but refined Persian palette — soft reds, indigo blues, restrained greens and ivory or cream — balanced into harmonious, decorative color rather than loud contrast. Ivory grounds are common and make the fine floral and pictorial drawing read clearly.
