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Lavar Kerman
During the last several decades of the 19th century, a large number of pictorial rugs
were woven, depicting shah or a ruler enthroned, mythological heroes, portraits and
pastoral land scopes. Other designs from this period were adopted from
Kerman Shah Pattern. After World War I, patterns such as repeated medallions or a
central medallion with patterns and arabe sques filled the background. The overall
tone of the rug is darker. The dark-blue backgrounds were commonly used with red, green,
ochre, and light blue in the designs. After the World War II designs were inspired by
French Aubusson carpets. These rugs are woven with a dense, thick pile. The designs are
composed of a central floral medallion on either an open field or a field with detached
floral sprays. A broken border design, consisting of swirls of flowers, was used instead
of the traditional square corner border arrangement. Pastel colors were used for the floral
motifs; ivory, rose, light blue and pale green were common background market, and became
known as "American". Kerman rugs made for the Persian market during this period were
characterized by a central floral medallion and an open field. They were more finely woven
and had a short pile. All sizes of rugs are woven, from small mats to large gallery size
carpets; runners and occasionally round rugs are woven. Ravar (Laver) some of the finest
Kerman rugs have been attributed to the small village of Ravar, which is located 84 miles
north of Kerman. In Europe and North America the name has been modified to Lavar.
For years the weavers in Ravar were renowned for their excellent-quality rugs.
History
The city of Kerman is located southeast of Iran. Carpet weaving has been done in Kerman
since the 16th century, though the rug industry remained on a relatively small scale until the
late 19th century. Currently, weaving is done in Kerman and the surrounding villages.
The Kerman province is the third largest province in Iran. The Dasht-e-Lut occupies the
northeast portion of the province. Much of the rest of the province is composed of
sandy desert and steppe. The city of Kerman is the capital and the largest city, which
serves as the marketplace for Afshari and Kerman rugs in the province.