Nain Rugs

What Are Nain Rugs?

Nain rugs are a type of Persian rug woven in the central region of Iran. They are similar in design to Isfahan rugs although it was not until the 1930's that Nains began to be made. See our Nain rugs for sale below.

Design of Nain Rugs

A common design includes a large central medallion surrounded by detailed, curvilinear arabesques and floral motifs. They are known for their abstract designs that are meant to represent flowers, butterflies, and small birds.

Nain Rugs: Colors, Materials & Structures

Nain rugs typically feature soft color schemes of beige, ivory and blue. These rugs have more limited color palettes compared to other Persian rugs. Curvilinear designs with central diamond-shaped medallions, palmettes and other floral motifs are popular among Nains. Bird and animal motifs may also be seen in Nain rugs.

They are woven with high quality materials including wool or silk woven on a cotton or silk foundation. If wool is used for the pile, silk may be used to highlight certain aspects of the design. A high quality wool called kork wool is usually used in weaving these rugs. The foundation of Persian Nains is usually cotton with two shoots of weft threads between knot rows.

Persian knots are used in Nains and the knot count is relatively high. The wool pile is clipped low to add definition to the design. These rugs are usually found in small scatter rug sizes. Modern Nains may come in larger sizes.

The fineness of a Nain rug may be determined by counting the layers of warp (fringe) threads. This measurement is referred to as Laa (the word for layers in Farsi). 

Also see more examples of Nain rugs on our Pinterest Board!