Collection: Naïn Rugs

In a Naïn rug, silk is used for drawing: it outlines the flowers, which then stand out in relief against the wool. This finesse comes from afar, since the city's weavers first worked with silk fabric.

Where does the Naïn rug come from?

Naïn is a small town in Iran, about 150 km from Isfahan. Tradition says it was founded by Naen, one of Noah's sons. For centuries, it was mainly known for weaving precious fabrics, often of silk, for the clothing of the mullahs. Around 1920, these factories went through a crisis, and many of the artisans turned to rugs with classic Persian designs: rug weaving began around 1930. Quality production has always remained rare, with around 150 looms in operation in 1940.

How do you recognize a Naïn rug?

First, by the silk, used to outline the design and give the motifs relief. The knot is asymmetrical, and the structure is most often cotton, more rarely silk. Then, by the color palette, chosen in rather cool tones, blue, hazelnut, or cream, with generally white silk: in our pieces, white and blue are the most common. The design is traditional, sometimes floral across the entire field. Our Naïn rugs are made of wool, or wool and silk for nearly half.

In which room and what size?

Our Naïn rugs come in almost every size: around 90 × 60 and 120 × 80 cm for a bedside runner or an entrance, around 150 × 100 cm for the foot of a bed or a desk, around 240 × 170 cm for a large living room, in front of a 220 to 240 cm sofa, and around 300 × 200 cm for a dining room or a very large living room. A square of about two meters and a very large piece nearly eight meters long complete the collection.

Frequently asked questions

Naïn or Nain?

It's the same name, with or without a diaeresis. The diaeresis reminds us that it is pronounced in two syllables, "na-ine".

Are Naïn rugs made of silk?

Partly: the pile is made of wool, and the silk, when present, outlines the motifs. Nearly half of our Naïn rugs thus combine wool and silk.

All our Naïn rugs are unique pieces, sold with their certificate of origin. See also our Ghoum rugs, another very fine knotting from Iran, and all our Persian rugs.