Lilihan Rugs
Lilihan rugs are similar to Sarouk rug in colour, style and thickness. According to Leslie Stroh of Rug News, there are about 3000 different designs for Hamadan rugs. This is attributed to 1500 villages in the Hamadan region that each produced two styles of designs. While some geometric patterns can be found amongst Lilihan rugs, the more prevalent designs are traditional floral motifs. The pink colour of the weft, distinguishes the Lilihan rugs from all others. Khaki and brown also accentuate the primarily salmon field colour. Although a wide range of rug and mat sizes are produced, the most common sizes found are 4 x 6 to 8 x 10 feet. The use of a longer pile traditionally appealed to Americans. The Lilihan rugs are executed using the Hamadan (single-wefted) weave, typically this means that they have one heavy cotton weft and are made with thick, first quality wool. The Lilihan rugs are the only fabrics in the Sultanabad region to be single-wefted. Lilihan rugs are coarsely, but tightly flat woven, making them extremely durable. Armenians wove Lilihans in Lilihan village in what used to be called Kamareh (now Khomeyn) district in Iran. The term Lilihan is better known in the US, in Europe it is not as widely used.
Lilihan Rug
Lilihan is in what used to be called the Kemereh district. In the US Lilihan is the common term for the rugs of the region. It is less well known in Europe. Other major producers in the region include Khomeine and Reihan. The rugs are in the Hamadan weave and use the Symetrical knot.
The Lilihan area produces a wide range of sizes from Mats to large room size carpets. The rugs tend to be similar to Sarouk rugs. in color style and thickness. Lilihans tend to have longer pile which was attractive to the American Market. Some of the old ones from before WWII were painted as were Sarouk I do not see them around very often anymore.
Rugs made in LILIHAN (LYLYAN) usually have curvilinear patterns composed of traditional floral motifs, but geometric ones are also seen. The pink color of the weft is the main characteristic of LILIHAN (LYLYAN) rugs and carpets. A truly beautiful LILIHAN (LYLYAN) rug is a brilliant addition to any setting. The quality of LILIHAN (LYLYAN) rugs varies. They are very durable. LILIHAN (LYLYAN) rugs come in different sizes, but the majority of them are mid-size (4 x 6 to 8 x 10 feet). Pink is the dominate color in LILIHAN (LYLYAN) rugs. You can also find khaki and brown. It’s texture is Soft wool; thick, tight pile. Warp is mostly cotton; weft is either cotton or wool. Weavers in LILIHAN (LYLYAN) use flat-woven knots.
Sources:
www.oldcarpet.com
www.persiancarpetguide.com
nazmiyalantiquerugs.com
http://www.houzz.com
