Serapi is a particular subgroup of the Heriz tradition, woven in the same north-west Iranian villages but distinguished by softer drawing, lighter colour, and a more open field than its Heriz cousin. The pieces from this register were prized by late nineteenth-century American collectors for their ability to sit comfortably in lighter, more architectural rooms. The Maida Serapi in front of you continues that tradition.

Two to three weavers in India spent close to four months at the loom. The drawing is squared and read knot by knot from a graphed cartoon, but the geometry is opener than a classical Heriz, with more space around the medallion and softer corner pieces. New Zealand wool takes the warm red the field requires without going harsh, and the pile was lustre-washed after shearing so the surface picks up light gently.

The composition

A stepped medallion in soft red sits on an open field, with ivory corner spandrels and a single restrained guard band in walnut and indigo. The drawing is angular but breathes, the way a Serapi cartoon is supposed to. As the wool ages, the red will warm toward terracotta and the field will settle into the soft, slightly worn quality that distinguishes a serious Serapi from a generic village Heriz.

What you are buying

Antique Serapi carpets in honest condition trade at Christie's, Sotheby's, and Skinner in the range of twenty-five to fifty thousand US dollars when they appear, and the lighter-palette examples are increasingly difficult to source. This is a current weaving on the same upright loom, in the same fibre, with the same Persian-asymmetric knot. The rug appreciates with use rather than depreciating.

The piece in a room

The carpet works in primary lounges, dining rooms, and generous bedrooms. The soft red palette pairs with cream limewash and putty walls, with oak and walnut floors, with brass and oxidised steel, and with linen upholstery. The rug holds confidently against architectural rooms with strong daylight and reads well in spaces that take indirect light.

Conservation

Vacuum weekly without the beater bar. Rotate end-to-end at the change of seasons. Blot spills with absorbent cotton, never rub. A wool conservator should wash the carpet every five to seven years. The piece expects an eighty-to-one-hundred-year service life on this regimen.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted wool on cotton foundation
• Construction: Persian asymmetric knot
• Hands: 2-3 weavers, around 4 months
• Pile: 9 mm, lustre washed
• Origin: India

Free shipping across India. Cash on delivery available. Seven-day exchange. The carpet ships crated for storage re-use.