Gold and Red Medallion Sirafian Isfahan, Hand-Knotted Wool Rug

This is a fine, hand-knotted piece that rewards a little extra care. 100% wool pile with a natural fringe at both ends, signed by the Sirafian workshop of Isfahan.

A gold ground is mid-toned rather than pale, so it hides everyday marks better than cream would. Yellow dyes are among the least light-fast of any colour, so keep this rug away from a sunny window. Take particular care of the signature cartouche at the end, and note that a small rug concentrates its wear rather than spreading it, so a rug pad and regular rotation matter more here than on a room-sized piece.

The cartouche in the outer band at one end reads bāft-e Irān — Esfahān, Sirafian, with a woven Iranian tricolour beside it. Look for it along the narrow band just above the fringe. What distinguishes this rug from the larger Isfahans is that it works in three distinct hues rather than in shades of one. Gold field, navy spandrels, red border — each is a different colour, not merely a different value, and each occupies a clearly bounded zone. That is a bolder arrangement than the tonal approach, and it is a sensible one at this size: a small rug seen mostly at close range can carry strong divisions that would feel restless across four metres, and the gold field keeps its presence in a room where a paler ground would simply read as a light patch on the floor. The medallion is the lobed type, drawn as a single outlined shape and filled, rather than the concentric radiating kind.