This Easter we were as a collective thinking what could we write about and then Masoud jumped up and said “I have the perfect rug! One that blends Easter and the end of the celebration of the Persian New Year magnificently” and out came this gorgeous masterpiece woven by the grand master weaver Mehdi Seirafian (Son of Mohammad Seirafian, the founder of the Seirafian rug weaving empire)
This exceptional rug was purchased by Masoud on one of his early buying trips when we had only recently established Bakhtiyar in the UK, it was when visiting the Seirafian workshop in Esfahan (Masoud’s home town) that he saw this rug still on the loom not yet finished that he knew it would be making the long journey back with him to England and wouldn’t ever be leaving his side. He told Mehdi then and there that the rug had spoken to him and that he had to have it, since then it has had pride of place in Masoud’s London office amongst his other carpets and gets taken out whenever he wants to enjoy and revel in its beauty.
It is centred around a large rose bush/tree (A symbol of divine love) that dwarves the fauna in the carpet at the bottom of the rug, where you can find a herd of deer (A symbolism of renewal) sheltering under the bottom of the tree.
Easter celebrates the rebirth/resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his crucifixion which signified new hope, new life and renewal. Eggs, chicks and lilies are often used to represent new life in imagery around the Easter period and our Seirafian featured marries this perfectly with the end of the Iranian New Year celebrations which are a celebration of rejuvenation, renewal and new life; with eggs at the top of the rose tree, surrounded by birds and flora all symbols of new life in Persian Rugs too.
Mehdi Seirafian
Mehdi Seirafian (born in 1955) learned his rug weaving skills directly from his renowned father, Mohammad Seirafian, a generational experience that only he and his two brothers were ever able to experience.
Mehdi's carpets exhibit a similar style and quality to his fathers works, however like his two brothers he has added his own flare and signature to his works. In addition to classical medallion designs, Mehdi is known for his unique tree-of-life designs, which feature vibrant colours and elements like deers, birds, and roses.
In addition to the traditional white-background Seirafian signature found at the bottom of their rugs, Mehdi's works usually also carry a top signature with his full name in both English and Persian letters.
Mehdi's son, Sepehr Seirafian has also joined the historic and culturally important family business and has been producing some outstanding pieces, including a phenomenal pictorial rug featuring a rare motif by the renowned artist Mirza Agha Emami. Giving fans of the Seirafian rugs an exciting and promising future of rugs to look forward too.
Buying Notes
Unfortunately when trying to purchase any Seirafian rug, much like the art world, masterworks and master weavers have their forgeries and replicas.
Despite there being close to 100 years of weaving history within the Seirafian family each of their master pieces take years to be woven, whilst the exact number of rugs woven is unknown it is widely acknowledged that this number will be relatively low.