Hallmarks of Etemad Carpets: An Analysis Based on the Qazvin Museum’s Collection

Abstract

In 1930, the Etemad Carpet Company was founded in Qazvin, Iran, and by the end of its 11-year run, it had transformed the city’s long carpet-making tradition. This article explores the hallmarks of Etemad carpets in the historical context in which the company operated. Analyzing the designs of the Etemad carpets in the Qazvin Museum suggests that although the company’s weavers came from all across the country, Etemad carpets remained consistently unique and innovative in their designs. Conducted as descriptive-analytical research, the study looked at written sources as well as archival pictures of Etemad carpets, and interviewed experts and scholars. It found that variety in design, colors, and motifs was the chief characteristic of Etemad carpets. The carpet designs featured innovative floral and abstract motifs, had little empty areas, and dominated their backgrounds. The use of a diverse set of floral motifs — including round flowers, Shah Abbasi flowers, leaves, buds, and arabesques — and various design compositions brought variety to Etemad carpets. Furthermore, the designs were visibly influenced by the native climate, featuring grape leaves and pistachio flower clusters, which represented two of Qazvin’s major crops. Khataee motifs were more frequent than arabesques across all the studied Etemad carpets,

Keywords

• etemad carpet company
• etemad carpet designs
• handwoven carpets
• qazvin museum