Two colours decide whether a Heriz reads as an heirloom or as a copy of one, and those two are rust and indigo. The village weavers of north-west Iran built a tradition out of that pairing in the late 1800s, dyeing their wool in madder vats for the warm field and in indigo for the cool guard bands. The Laila Heriz in front of you, in rust and blue, sits squarely inside that long line of village production.

Around four months on the loom for two to three weavers in India. The drawing is read knot by knot from a squared cartoon, which is why the medallions and corner brackets carry their characteristic angularity rather than the flowing curves of city Persian work. New Zealand wool takes both colours to the saturations the design needs.

The composition

A central rust medallion with a stepped silhouette sits on an indigo field, edged by ivory spandrels and a deep blue guard band. The contrast between rust and blue is the engine of the rug. As the wool ages, the rust warms toward terracotta and the blue settles a shade darker, which only deepens the relationship between the two values.

What you are buying

Honest pre-1930 Heriz carpets of comparable size and palette appear at Bonhams and Skinner in the range of eighteen to thirty-five thousand US dollars and are rarely available below that. This new weaving uses the same upright loom, the same Persian-asymmetric knot, and the same fibre. It gains patina rather than wear, which means the rug repays its purchase price across decades rather than depreciating from the day it lands.

The piece in a room

6' x 9' (183 x 274 cm) sits well under a three-seat sofa with two chairs facing in, or under a six-seat dining table where the indigo border throws weight back against the chair legs. The blue holds against off-white walls and pulls forward against grey limewash. Brass lamp bases, walnut wood, and unframed art read cleanly above it.

Conservation

Vacuum weekly, suction only. Rotate the carpet a half turn each spring and autumn. Blot spills with absorbent cotton cloth, never rub. A wool conservator should hand-wash the piece every five to seven years to lift dust from deep in the pile. The rug expects an eighty-year life on this regimen.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted wool on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 183 x 274 cm (6' x 9')
• Construction: Persian asymmetric knot
• Hands: 2-3 weavers, around 4 months
• Pile: 10 mm
• Origin: India

Free shipping across India. Cash on delivery available. Seven-day exchange. The carpet arrives crated for safe re-use during storage or relocation.