Hand-knotted Qom Persian Rug in Silk, 218 × 140 cm

A hand-knotted Qom rug from Iran, 218 × 140 cm. Qom weaving began in the early twentieth century and works to a drawn cartoon rather than from memory, which is why the layouts come out so exact. The stated density is 700,000-799,999 knots/sqm; over 3.05 m² that is roughly 2.3 million knots, a fine weave that keeps small motifs legible. Pile 100% silk, warp 100% silk. A silk pile shifts tone as you move past it — the same field reads light from one side of the room and dark from the other. 3.05 m² suits a study or a foot-of-bed position. Proportion 1.56:1. This is the only example of this rug; when it is gone the size and drawing do not repeat.