3 x 10 Antique Persian Malayer Rug 60984

60984 Distressed Antique Persian Malayer Rug Runner, 03'06 x 10'02.

Woven with poetic restraint and aged elegance, this hand-knotted wool antique Persian Malayer runner reveals the quiet majesty of time’s passage. Its abrash field, tinged with nuanced shades of weathered blue and earthy brown, evokes the reflective serenity of twilight waters. As your eye journeys along the length of the runner, it is met by an all-over Herati design, one of the most enduring and emblematic motifs in Persian textile art. Known also as the Mahi, or “fish” pattern, this design features a rosette nestled within a diamond, flanked by stylized lanceolate leaves said to resemble fish swimming just beneath the surface under the full moon’s glow—a poetic homage to life’s rhythms and the celestial dance of nature.

The composition is richly layered yet never overstated, balancing complexity with clarity. The Herati motifs bloom rhythmically across the field, their subtle variations lending the piece a handcrafted authenticity that whispers of the weaver’s skilled hand and meditative spirit. The abrashed tones of the field shift gently from darker midnight to softened indigo and faded umber, creating a visual undulation that mimics water’s gentle currents or the dappling of moonlight over river stones. These tonal gradations, born of time and natural dye, imbue the Malayer rug with a soulfulness that only age can bestow.

Encasing this aqueous dreamscape is a refined rosette border, its softly defined blossoms forming a lyrical garland that frames the central narrative. This botanical motif is flanked by inner and outer sawtooth guard bands—geometric echoes that lend structure and containment to the otherwise fluid aesthetic. The contrast between the delicate florals and the angular meanders offers a tension that feels balanced and intentional, speaking to the dualities of the Persian design tradition: geometry and nature, precision and spirit, permanence and transformation.

In its weathered elegance, this antique Persian Malayer runner transcends mere decoration. It carries the mark of countless footsteps, seasons passed, and generations remembered. Perfectly suited for a hallway that seeks both history and softness, it welcomes with an air of quiet splendor—a textile poem spun in wool, rich with symbolism, reverence, and enduring beauty.

• Rendered in variegated shades of cerulean, camel, tan, Aegean, verdigris, brown, teal, coffee, ecru, Prussian blue, khaki, and glaucous with other accent colors.
• Distressed. Desirable Age Wear.
• Abrash. Antique wash.
• Hand-knotted wool.
• Made in Iran.
• Measures: 03'06 x 10'02.
• Date: 1920's. Early 20th Century.