Beyond its Kirman, Sarouk, Heriz, Serapi and Tabriz families, Karastan's Original Collection included a group of designs drawn from a much wider world: Turkish village rugs, Turkoman tribal rugs, Chinese and Indian rugs, and other Persian types. These designs were generally made in smaller numbers and are less often seen today, which makes them especially interesting to collectors.
| Turkish | #737 Bergama |
|---|---|
| Turkoman | #722 Turkoman Red Bokhara, #734 Antique Bokhara |
| Persian | #735 Bijar, #741 Kashan Medallion |
| Chinese | #732 Chinese Tianjin Medallion |
| Indian | #704 Agra |
#737 Bergama
Bergama, in western Turkey, is known for village rugs with bold geometric designs and strong reds and blues. Karastan's #737 Bergama brings that geometric style to the 700 Series, often in salmon red and light blue. It is one of the more frequently seen designs in this group. See Turkish Rugs.
#722 and #734 Bokhara
"Bokhara" is the trade name for rugs in the Turkoman style, with rows of repeated octagonal motifs called guls, usually on a red ground. Karastan's #722 Turkoman Red Bokhara and #734 Antique Bokhara follow that tradition and are both scarce today. See Persian Turkoman Rugs and Pakistani Rugs and Bokhara Designs.
#735 Bijar
Bijar (Bidjar) rugs, from Kurdistan in western Iran, are famous for their dense, heavy weave, earning them the name "iron rugs of Persia." Karastan's #735 Bijar is a rare design in the series. See Bidjar Rugs.
#741 Kashan Medallion
Kashan, in central Iran, is known for fine, formal medallion rugs. The #741 follows that refined city style with a central medallion design. See Kashan Rugs.
#732 Chinese Tianjin Medallion
Tianjin, near Beijing, was a major center of Chinese rug weaving in the early 20th century, known for rugs with open fields, restrained medallions and soft colors, many made for export to America. Karastan's #732 adapts that style and is among the rarest designs in the 700 Series. See Chinese Rugs.
#704 Agra
Agra, in northern India, has been a center of rug weaving since the Mughal era. Karastan's #704 Agra draws on Indian rug design and is seldom seen today. See Indian Rugs.
