The Oriental Collection - Catalog - Page 140
REZAS KELIM RUGS
Kelim Seneh
Seneh in Sanadaj is the capitol of the Kurdistan province of north-western parts of
the Orient, and has about 300.000 inhabitants, most of them Kurds from the Gurani Tribe. Seneh rugs are easily recognisable by their knotting method, as well as
the pattern colours and wool used. They usually have a simple weft, and the back
of the rug is often coarse and grainy, as the wool is spun tightly by hand before
the knotting. Sometimes, a firm Bidjar-like knotting can be seen.
Characteristically, the colours are deep blue, green, dark red, and white. Seneh
wool is among the best qualities of Oriental wool: firm and durable, with a deep
glow, a result of the high altitude, the sparse vegetation, and extremes in temperature. The tribal knotters in the area use the same type of wool. In the 19th century,
Seneh rugs were famous for their fineness and the variation in patterns, while the
modern production is less fine and not as varied.
The Ghiordis knot is usually used, but you will also encounter rugs from Seneh
with the Seneh knot. The typical Seneh rug has a Herati pattern field, with a series
of geometrical medallions, one inside the other, each repeating the pattern with
a different ground colour. Sometimes, the older, more uniform patterns are seen:
Boteh, Vekili, Gol-Farang (naturalistic, European style bundles of flowers) or Goli-Bulbul (birds and flowers).
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