Location: Heriz is the name applied to the rugs and carpets of some 30 villages that lie within the North-West of Persia.

General Description: Heriz rugs are the country cousins of the Tabriz, for although they follow many of the designs of the latter they are modified in a way typically their own. The country weavers of Heriz preferred, for example, to weave curvilinear patterns as did the weavers of Tabriz. The curvilinear patterns and scrolls of the arabesque, so much favoured by the weavers of Tabriz, are therefore converted into rectilinear designs of horizontal, diagonal and perpendicular lines. It is this feature which greatly aids their identification. In comparison to the rugs of Tabriz, theirs are simple yet somewhat stylised.

Heriz rugs have been extremely successful in export markets over a considerable period of time, a fact perhaps which has influenced the weavers to stick to their rectilinear designs rather than follow that of their neighbours Tabriz. Some of the older and finer carpets are named after the village of Gorevan. These usually have l light backgrounds with beautiful designs in various shades including browns and blues. Other villages in the Heriz group are also occasionally identified with a rug. The more important are Ahar, Bakshaish, Mehriban and Jamalbad.

In comparison to the rugs of Tabriz, in the weft of Heriz, the individual knots at the back of the rug give a bead-like appearance. The weft is irregular in thickness.

Specification: Loom- vertical. Warp- Cotton. Weft- Cotton. Pile- Wool. Knot- Turkish. Motif- Rectilinear interpretations of arabesques and scrolls.