History

The Moghadam Legacy: Guardians of Woven Eternity

For over half a century, the Moghadam Collection has stood as the living bridge between these timeless traditions and the modern connoisseur. We do not merely collect carpets; We resurrect their stories, honor their makers, and place these woven heirlooms where they belong: in the palaces, penthouses, and private sanctuaries of those who understand that true luxury is not bought, but inherited.

Carpet weaving is an integral part of Iranian culture and identity, Persian carpets are made from natural materials like wool, silk, and cotton, offering exceptional durability and quality. The use of natural dyes derived from plants and minerals results in vibrant and long-lasting colors. Persian carpets are entirely handmade, adding significant value and authenticity.

Traditional stylistic designs, such as Islimi, Shah Abbasi, Gol Farang, and Hunting Grounds, are unique. Each region of Iran (e.g. Tabriz, Isfahan, Qom, Kashan, and Kerman) has its distinct style, production methods and patterns.

Each piece in our collection is a chapter in Persia’s unbroken epic, carefully preserved and waiting to continue its journey with its next custodian.

THE REMOTE ORIGINS

Carpet weaving in Persia dates back to the Bronze Age, with the earliest surviving examples of Persian carpets originating from the Safavid dynasty (1501–1736) in the 16th century. However, painted depictions indicate that the tradition has a longer history. Classical Persian carpets from the 16th and 17th centuries show a wide range of designs, often featuring motifs such as scrolling vine patterns, arabesques, palmettes, cloud bands, medallions, and intricate geometric compartments.

Ceramic vessels from the Dalma period at Seh Gābī in Kurdistan, containing infant burials, revealed textile impressions and a preserved fragment. A proto-Elamite copper mirror from Sialk, dating to around 3000 BCE, showed remnants of S-spun linen. Later 3rd-millennium textiles were found at Tepe Hissar, including fragments of charred cloth near copper daggers. A copper ax from Susa was wrapped in linen cloth. By the late 2nd millennium BCE, cording was known, used in carpet selvages. Tombs at Marlik, dating from this period, yielded fragments of unidentified fabric, including cords. At Ghalekuti, a mirror had cloth remnants, and hemp or flax strings were found, possibly used for jewelry suspension.

Evidence for the production of pile carpets in the ancient Near East comes from stone slabs at the entrances of Neo-Assyrian kings' residences, starting with Tiglath-pileser III, which feature geometric designs that may represent carpets. In his Cyropaedia, Xenophon mentions soft "Median carpets" used by Persian kings.

PERSIAN MYSTERY - THE PAZYRYK CARPET

The oldest carpet ever found, in Pazyryk southern Siberia, dates back to the 4th-5th century BCE initially thought to be Persian due to the evident style attribution, although it was concluded that it was inspired by persian carpets of the time, rather than being of persian manufacture.

The carpet originally measured 1.83 by 2 meters. Its field was divided into 24 squares, each with a stylized floral design, possibly inspired by Assyrian quatrefoils. The border consists of five stripes separated by narrow guards with alternating black, tan, and red squares outlined in black, flanked by narrow tan bands. The outer and inner stripes feature schematic lion-griffins with their heads turned back, facing opposite directions. The second stripe from the outside shows a row of horses with crenellated manes, some ridden and some accompanied by walking male figures in caps, set against a rust-colored background. These figures resemble those of tribute bearers in Persepolis reliefs, which led to an early belief that the carpet was Persian. Near one corner of this stripe are two circles with rosettes, suggesting the carpet might have been a game board. The combination of mounted and walking horsemen, unlike those in the Persepolis friezes, indicates this border design is a distant adaptation of Achaemenid art.

THE ERAS OF PERSIAN CARPET MASTERY

Persian carpets must be understood as a historical and cultural treasure, It is far more than floor covering; it is a stratified artifact, a woven chronicle of empires, artistic dialogues, and unparalleled craftsmanship. Understanding its history reveals layers of influence, with the foundational stratum deeply embedded in the Assyrian and Achaemenid aesthetic legacy.

To touch a Persian carpet is to trace the golden thread of history; an art form where empires, myths, and mastery intertwine. These are not mere furnishings, but heirlooms of civilization, each knot a testament to a lineage that began in the courts of Assyrian kings and flourished under Persia’s imperial grandeur, all the way until the Pahlavi Era.

The marvellous historical stratification of the Art of Persian carpet weaving may be understood according to the following eras:

• The Assyrian Foundations: Beauty meets Power (9th - 7th Century BCE)
  The first strokes of this masterpiece were drawn by Assyria’s conquering aesthetes. Their palaces, adorned with winged guardians, sacred trees, and regal hunts, imprinted a visual language of power: symmetry, symbolism, floral patterns, and intricate borders. Persia’s weavers inherited this lexicon, transforming stone-carved grandeur into woven silk and gold.
• Imperial Refinement: Achaemenid Adaptation (7th - 4th Century BCE)
  Under Cyrus and Darius, the carpet became a throne in textile form. Persepolis’ reliefs whisper their secrets: lion and bull locked in eternal combat, lotus tendrils framing tribute bearers, all rendered with Assyrian precision, yet softened into Persian opulence. Here, the carpet ceased to be craft; it became courtly diplomacy underfoot and showcase for royal ensigns.
• Hellenistic Whispers: A Silk Road Synthesis (4th - 1st Century BCE)
  The Hellenistic kingdoms brought a fleeting but fascinating dialogue, where Persian weavers encountered Greek naturalism. Flowing vine scrolls replaced rigid Assyrian symmetry, while Dionysian revelry briefly danced across court textiles. Though no intact carpets survive, this fusion lives on in Safavid garden designs, where Persian geometry later tamed Hellenistic exuberance into timeless harmony. A reminder that even conquerors bowed to Persia’s artistic alchemy.
• Sassanian Opulence: Silk Roads of Splendor (3rd - 7th Century)
  Under the Sassanian Empire, Persian textiles became treasures of the ancient world. Royal hunt scenes in shimmering silks, mythical simurgh birds woven with gold thread. These were the glories that adorned the luxurious imperial palaces of the House of Sāsān. Here, the carpet became more than art; it was diplomacy, a silent herald of Persia’s unrivaled sophistication.
• The Arabesque Innovation: Divine Geometry (7th - 15th Century)
  When Arabian Islamic vines and geometries swept Persia, weavers performed fusion. They took the Arabesque’s divine curves and anchored them to their Sassanid-Assyrian bones. The boteh (paisley) blossomed from ancient palmettes; heraldic beasts danced through scrolling vines. The result? A harmony of structure and flow, mathematics made manifest in wool and dye.
• The Renaissance of Radiance: Safavid Mastery (16th - 18th Century)
  Then came Persia’s golden age, when the loom became a poet’s pen. Under Shah Abbas’ vision, royal workshops transformed the Arabesque’s flowing vines into celestial gardens, where every blossom held geometric perfection. Here, the boteh evolved into the iconic paisley, hunting scenes became allegories of power, and Isfahan’s weavers achieved the impossible: carpets so precise, their knot counts rivaled the stars. This was no longer craft, it was alchemy, where silk threads captured moonlight and madder root dyes mimicked the blood of rubies. For the first time, Persian carpets became signed masterworks, their creators as revered as court painters.
• The Pahlavi Revival: Modern Majesty and Tradition (1925-1979)
  The Pahlavi era awakened Persia’s weaving genius for a new century. As the nation modernized, its carpets became cultural ambassadors, retaining the soul of Safavid masterpieces while embracing bold, graphic vitality. Royal workshops revived forgotten natural dyes, achieving lapis blues deeper than twilight and crimsons that hummed with energy. Tabriz weavers translated Persian miniatures into wool with photographic precision, while Qashqai nomads distilled ancient tribal codes into hypnotic geometric meditations. These were carpets for palaces and penthouse alike, where a single piece might bear 800 knots per square inch yet feel utterly alive. The Moghadam collection preserves these 20th century treasures, textiles that proved Persian artistry could honor its past while striding confidently into the modern world.