The Original Collection is the heart of Karastan. Its designs, numbered in the 700s, are the rugs most people picture when they hear the name: the many-colored #717 Panel Kirman, the deep red #785 Sarouk, the bold #700/701 Navy Heriz. Each is an adaptation of a celebrated type of Oriental rug, woven in worsted wool with remarkable faithfulness to the original style. Many were made for decades, and they remain the most collected Karastans today.
| Numbers | The 700s, written as #717 or 700/717 |
|---|---|
| Best known | #717 Multicolor Panel Kirman, introduced 1937 |
| Design sources | Persian, Turkish, Turkoman, Indian and Chinese rugs |
| Largest family | Kirman designs |
| Made | From the early years until wool weaving ended in 2021 |
Design families
The 700 Series is easiest to understand by family, grouped by the type of rug each design is based on:
| Family | Designs |
|---|---|
| Kirman | #717 Multicolor Panel, #718 Medallion, #742 Floral, #753 Green Medallion, #756 and #762 Red Medallion, #759 and #788 Ivory, #781, #784 Pastel Ivory |
| Sarouk | #760 Ivory Sarouk, #785 Red Sarouk |
| Heriz | #700/701 Navy Heriz, #726 Heriz, #748 Blue Heriz |
| Serapi | #729 Serapi, #736 Medallion Serapi, #743 Ivory Serapi, #744 Antique Serapi |
| Tabriz | #738 Tabriz, #747 Indigo Tabriz |
| Pictorial | #723 Persian Hunting |
| Other | #704 Agra, #722 and #734 Bokhara, #732 Chinese Tianjin, #735 Bijar, #737 Bergama, #741 Kashan |
Kirman: the largest family
Kirman designs make up the largest group in the Original Collection, and they include its most famous rug, the #717. The Persian city of Kerman (Kirman) is known for graceful floral designs and a wide palette, which suited Karastan's many-colored weaving well. See Karastan Kirman Rugs and Kerman Rugs.
Sarouk and Heriz
The Sarouk designs follow the deep red, floral rugs that were hugely popular in America in the early 20th century. The Heriz designs follow the bold geometric medallion rugs of northwest Iran and bring a stronger, more architectural look. See Karastan Sarouk Rugs and Karastan Heriz Rugs.
Beyond Persia
Not every 700 Series design is Persian. The collection also adapted Turkish village rugs (#737 Bergama), Turkoman rugs (#722 Bokhara), Indian rugs (#704 Agra) and Chinese rugs (#732 Tianjin). These designs are less common today and appeal to collectors looking for something different. See Other 700 Series Designs.
Identifying a 700 Series rug
Look for the pattern number on the label on the back, written as #717 or 700/717. If the label is gone, compare the design with known examples; most 700 Series patterns are distinctive. Because many designs were made for decades, the number tells you the design but not the date. See Karastan Pattern Numbers Explained and How to Identify and Date a Vintage Karastan.
