The great feature of Persian design has always been it's intricate, symbolic patterns, which have fascinated experts and art lovers throughout the world for centuries. Persian carpet can be divided, as far as design is concerned, into two main groups: carpets with a geometric pattern, and carpets with curvilinear patterns, which are known as "floral carpets".
Geometrically patterned Persian carpets, woven by nomadic tribes, are decorated with linear elements composed of vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines, and are formed by a repetition of the same motif. The motif of a carpet can be used to determine the particular tribe, or place of origin.
The most common motif for Persian rugs, especially the larger ones, is a large central medallion. Yet, even if two carpets have basically the same design, no two medallions are ever exactly the same. Some experts believe that the medallion designs stems from the very religious nature of the weavers and that their inspiration probably came from the artwork and patterns of domes of the mosques.
The Iran Carpet Company, which is an organization whose purpose is to ensure quality and consistency in Persian carpet manufacturing, has attempted to classify Persian carpet designs. Thousands of carpets were studied, and the results have shown that alterations were introduced into almost all original designs. There are 19 original "main patterns", and the derivatives are called "sub-patterns".
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Pattern Classifications and Characteristics |
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| Group | Distinguishing Characteristics | Some Sub-Patterns |
| 1 - Historic Monuments & Islamic Buildings | Inspired by tile-work, structure and geometric shapes of ancient buildings | Sheikh Lotfollah, Mehrabi Kufi, Kabood Mosque, Sheikh Safi Shrine, Zire Khaki |
| 2 - Shah Abbassi | A special flower, known as Shah Abbassi, set-off by other floral patterns and leaves | Allover, Medallion, Tree, Animal, Sheikh Safi, Embellished Shah Abbassi |
| 3 - Spiral | Spiraling branches around leave. The end of each branch splits to resemble the jaws of a dragon | Allover Spiral, Interconnected Spiral, Broken Spiral, Medallion Spiral |
| 4 - Allover | All parts of pattern are interconnect usually drawn without the designers hand ever being lifted | Khatai, Interconnected, Pomegranate Flower, Animal, Twisted Branch, Medallion |
| 5 - Derivative | Patterns of neighboring regions Similar to patterns originally woven in Persia | Afghani, Caucasian, Gobelin |
| 6 - Interconnected (Bandi) | A small piece of design is repeated and connected throughout the carpet. | Ivy, Katieh, mudbrick, diamond, Tree, Milk, Sugar, armlet, cedar, Bakhtiari, Majlessi, Rope |
| 7 - Paisley | Head-bent paisley (common in Indian and Iranian patterns) | Tufted, Deer Horn, Termeh, Saraband, Kherghei, Isfahan Pencase, Kordestani, Eight-bush |
| 8 - Tree | Distinctive for their close resemblance to natural tree forms | Animal, Green Field, Panel, Cedar, Vase |
| 9 - Torkemann (Bokharas) | Geometrical shapes & broken lines. (usu. derived from the weavers imagination, not a drawing) | Gabbeh, Yamouti, Comb, Ghazel Gos, Akhal, Four-Panel, Saddlebag, Spoon |
| 10 - Hunting Ground | Life-like animals | Tree, Panel, Medallion, Allover |
| 11 - Panel | Multisided panel motif | Spiral, Koran, Column |
| 12 - European Flower | Original Persian designs with roses in light and dark colours | Rose, Bijar, Mostowfi, Panel, Bouquet, Rose and Nightingale |
| 13 - Vase | A single large vase, or a smaller vase repeated throughout the carpet | Khatai, Two-Way, Mehrabi, Allover, Chain, Haji Khanom, Repeate, Scar Medallion, One-Way |
| 14 - Intertwined Fish | Originally a product of nomadic tribes and enriched by modern designers. Intertwined fish. | Herat, Farahan, Beehive, Senneh, Kurdestan, Tiny, Fragmented |
| 15 - Mehrab | Representation of the place in a mosque, where the prayer leader stands. Ornamented with pillars, chandeliers & floral patterns | Tree, Vase-Column, Chandelier, Vase, Landscape |
| 16 - Striped (Moharramat) | Repeated stripes running the length of the carpet, each stripe with it's own motif and colour | Overall Pencase, Tiny Flower (one background colour, Paisley (multiple background colours) |
| 17 - Geometrical | Lines, and geometrical shapes (polygons, etc.) | Connected panel, Medallion, Striped, Scarf Medallion, Plain Ground, Khatai, Star (Mosaic) |
| 18 - Tribal | Oldest & most original patterns. Simple creations of tribal imagination, inspired by natural surroundings | Heibatloo, Ghashghai Paisley, Afshari, Khatouni, Ardabil, Mazlaghan, Khamseh, Saveh, Tafresh |
| 19 - Composites | A composite of two or more of the above patterns | Twisted Branch Medallion, Chanin Medallion, Interconnected Vase & Spiral, Green Field, etc. |
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Symbols and their Interpretations |
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Symbol |
Interpretation |
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| Camel | Wealth | |
| Carnation | Happiness | |
| Dove | Peace | |
| Parrot | Love | |
| Pomegranate | Abundance | |
| Tree of Life | Eternity | |
