Senneh Rugs, produced in Northwest Persia, are prized for their fine, delicate design and their distinctive, weaving technique. Sennehs come in a range allover and medallion patterns, and consequently it is their weave rather than their design that sets them apart. But whatever their design, Senneh rugs and carpets always display a precise, crisp somewhat geometric drawing that corresponds to the precision of the weave. Colors tend to be varied and rich, but soft as well.
Antique Senneh rugs are best known for scatter-sizes that make excellent decorative accent rugs, but they come as decorativein room-sized carpets as well. Certain of the more robust, tribal-looking antique Senneh rugs were probably woven by Kurds.
The finest examples of antique Senneh rugs were created in the mid-1800’s during a golden age of regional carpet production. The exquisite use of color, the fabulous patterns, the outstanding materials and the unique construction techniques make antique Senneh rugs some of the finest produced in Persia outside of royal manufactories. Senneh has a long history of carpet production before commercial companies and exporters entered the market. The carpets of Senneh are unique in their single-weft construction and use of interlaced warps. Even the yarns used in Senneh rugs are of the finest quality and are spun very tightly. The tightly knotted structure produces a very fine and durable surface that is distinguished by a rough, bumpy back.
The village of Senneh, also called Sanandaj, is located in the unofficial province of Iranian Kurdistan. Sennah is also a regional dialect. For these reasons, Senneh carpets are often attributed to Kurdish weavers. Many of the best antique Senneh rugs feature traditional patterns, such as the Gol-i-Bolbol, which have been used in the area for centuries. Antique Senneh carpets are tastefully colored, beautifully composed relics of an era represented by unmatched quality and craftsmanship that is coveted today.
All natural dyes are paramount for the carpet to have more than just decorative value. Beyond that, various dyers had varying levels of skill and invested different lengths of time in dyeing the yarns. The “quality of color”–its radiance and level of nuance within each color–is centrally important. Certain rare colors such as Tyrian purple, saffron yellow, cochineal rose and greens add to the carpet’s value
