Lavar Rug Gallery – Before Restoration

This is an antique hand-woven rug.This rug originated in Persia.This rug was created in the province of Kerman, Iran.Design, weave, colors, quality of wool indicate it came from the village of Lavar.The back of the rug shows how finely knotted it is.Transliteration of the first signature, Amaleh Mohammad ebneh Jafar.Translation, Woven by Mohammad the son of Jafar.the second signature is transliterated as Sefaresheh Ali Asghar Kermani, meaning Commissioned by Ali Asghar Kermani.The second signature says COMMISSIONED BY ASGHAR ALI KERMANIDistinctiveness of colors indicates quality workmanship.The yellow and pink pigments, like these, are seen in mostly very old Persian rugs.The foundation of the rug is cotton.The rug measures five feet and two inches by nine feet.The first noticeable sympton is the worn pile.The moth damage is visible from the back of the rug.The rotted fringes are shown here.To stop fringe from further unraveling, someone in the past stitched along the end.Moth has devoured the wool pile in other areas such as this.Here is another area worn down or eaten by moth.Traces of dyes remain where the pile is worn out.This is an area that has lost its plush wool pile to foot traffic.All the white dots show the foundation made bare by shoes rubbing away the pile.The sky blue areas are particularly worn out.Moths selectively attack wool pile with navy dye. They navigate by taste.The flavor of the brown pigment is also attractive to mothsSome areas of wool pile are eaten by moth to the point of total destruction.Here the moth has eaten all brown wool along an almost straight line.Along the red edge, moth has eaten the pile leaving behind white threads from the foundation.Amazingly, the rosy flowers have been spared extensive damage.As seen here, the white dots are left from navy and brown pile.The white dots show the foundation once the pile has been rubbed off.The damage here is extensive.Navy and brown areas have been especially vulnerable to wear and oxidation.Here again, navy and brown areas have been targeted by moth.Damage is visible from the back of the rug.Not only the pile but also the foundation is destablized.Where the pile is worn away, the cotton foundation is visible.There is a hole or tear in the middle of the rug.The fringe is damaged on both ends of the rug.This major damage is due to uneven foot traffic, age, oxidation of the cotton and exposure to moisture.The symptoms of extreme damage stretch all along the fringe.Heavy outdoor shoes have damaged almost every inch.The mismatched red color is evidence of earlier attempt at repair.The edge in red shown here made by unmatched wool. You can see the shiny new wool