Qom carpets, the elegance of the tradition

Qom carpets, the elegance of the tradition

Qom province is located in the south of Tehran (capital) and it considers as an important province that connects the south of Iran to the center and north. People from different cities and villages in this province, besides agriculture and livestock breeding, have an occupation as craftsmanship. Carpet as one of the most important crafts in Qom is commonly weaved between rural people and nomads of this zone for a long time, but the history of Qom carpets as they look nowadays is going back to more than 80 years ago.

Back in old times, the Qom carpets were woven with not so fine wool and with a maximum of 40 knots per square inch. Later the craftsmen started a revolution in carpet weaving with their abilities and skills to increase the quality of materials and techniques. The all silk Qom carpets with a higher density of knots that are known as “silk flowers” are the output of this revolution. These Qom carpets are made with warp, weft, and pile in silk and they are thin enough that between the merchants are known as “pocket carpets” as a metaphor since they can be folded and become small in size for transportation!

Wool Qom carpets are made with pile in wool, and weft and warp in thin cotton. The wool used for these carpets is fine with high quality, therefore, the knots become small and the density goes higher. The knotting technique of the Qom carpet is asymmetrical which is known as the Farsi knot. The combination of wool and silk on cotton warp and weft is also common in Qom carpet. The technique of weaving Qom carpet is so precise that usually, the common errors in carpet weaving such as gaps between knots and wefts on the back of carpets are not occurred, therefore, these carpets look so much like machine weaved carpets in the eyes of those who cannot understand the differences.

The design of Qom carpets has come from traditional Persian designs like medallions and floral motifs. The hunting scenes which are common in Isfahan carpets are also being used in Qom carpets which are in silk to give a more precise and elegant style to this pattern. The climate of Qom provinces gives an opportunity to the craftsmen to produce many natural colors for the materials they use in carpets. In the old Qom carpets, up to 6 different colors were used, but nowadays this number increased to up to 40 colors. Colors such as light and dark cream, dark blue, beige, light and dark brown, sky blue, black, khaki, turquoise, green, cinnamon red, gold, and copper are commonly used in Qom carpets.

The high quality of Qom carpets and the fine materials allow the market to purchase these art pieces as an investment for the future. This fact brought Qom carpet to the European market as a luxury product that gives a glamorous look to the ambient. To have a traditional art piece even in modern ambient, Qom carpets are a brilliant choice for those who are in love with carpets.