Materials: Hand knotted wool pile on cotton foundation
Age: Circa 1970s-1980s
Size: 3' 8” x 6' 11" (112 x 212 cm)
This is a classic Mir-boteh (paisley) from Saraband in the Arak region, woven with an allover field of small, pear-shaped botehs (paisleys) marching in neat rows. The ground reads as a warm salmon–terracotta, with the botehs picked out in ivory, midnight indigo, and tiny notes of cornflower blue. Look closely and you’ll see gentle abrash in the salmon field, the natural tonal shifts you get from hand-dyed wool that give the surface life. Framing the field is an ivory main border with an angular vine and small rosette and leaf forms typical of Saraband work, set between midnight and terracotta guard stripes.
It is hand knotted wool pile on a cotton foundation, about 0.7 cm thick, so it feels dense and tidy underfoot rather than plush.
Design-wise, the Mir boteh is often read as a young cypress or seed, a symbol of growth and continuity, and here the lattice layout makes it especially rhythmic and easy to live with.
At 3’ 8” x 6’ 11” (112 x 212 cm), it is a versatile gallery size for an entry, beside a bed, in front of a sofa, layered over a larger neutral, or as a warm accent in a study or dressing area. The palette plays nicely with natural woods, black accents, cream walls, and earthy textiles. If you love pieces that are refined yet still village-made, this Saraband delivers that balance beautifully.
