Seirafian Family

The creature of the best Isfahan rugs for a century

“ Seirafian Family is one of the most important family of Persian carpet industry for almost a century and a great inspiration for many producers of high-quality Isfahan rugs”

The History of Seirafian Family

When "Haj Reza Seirafian" founded his carpet studio in Isfahan instead of continuing the family's money exchange business, the tale of the Seirafian carpet was born. Before he began making his own carpets, Reza Seirafian had a notable fondness for Persian rugs and carpets. Before starting his company in 1940 to make Persian rugs from beautiful and high-quality materials, he enjoyed collecting old and elegant Persian carpets. Reza Sirafian worked with the most excellent designers, weavers, and dyers to ensure the high quality of the carpets. His carpets quickly rose to the top of the pile of Persian rugs, and many dealers collaborated with his carpet workshops. He decided to weave a unique mark under his carpets with their family name and Iran flag to guarantee the originality of the carpets.

This pure creativity and love for Persian rugs continued in the generations after, and his sons followed their father's activities in this industry. Reza had seven sons, and almost all of them continued his way. The first son tried hard to raise their family effort to the world. Mohammad, Sadeg, Ahmad, and Ali were serious about this job, too, making valuable and eternal rugs for palaces, mansions, organizations, and ordinary houses. Mohammad Seirafian, the second son, created remarkable rugs with unique designs until the end of his life in 2021. One of his masterpieces is the famous United Nations carpet.

Additionally royal to their father's passion to create excellent carpets were Sadegh and Ali Seirafian. As one of the greatest varieties of Persian Isfahan carpets are offered via several carpet workshops in this city, the grandsons of Haj Reza Seirafian are currently caring for their family's reputation as a treasure.
The Seirafian family has asked the most skilled carpet designers of their period, such Ahmad Archang and Haj Mosaver Ol-Molki, to create their carpets. Their carpets are renowned for their delicate designs, particularly those with arabesque themes, hunting scenes, and floral motifs.

Top Features of Seirafian Carpets and Rugs

● All Carpets and Rugs woven in Seirafian carpet workshops have a specific sign under the rug includes of Seirafian name and Iran flag
● Seirafian rugs have high knot densities, usually more than 400 knots per square inch
● The finest wool and silk fibers are used as piles in Seirafian rugs
● These carpets and rugs have thin cotton warps or silk yarns a warp yarns
● Most designs of Seirafian rugs are in Isfahan style, includes Eslimi spiral branches and Shah Abbasi flower. Also patterns inspired by nature.

Famous Artworks and Carpets of Seirafian Family

Bani Adam Carpet in United Nations

This fabulous rug was woven by Mohammad Seirafian carpet workshops and gifted to the United Nations in 2015 to honor "Dialogue among Civilizations," which began in 2001. Mohammad Seirafian created the design of this carpet, inspired by Persian architectural designs and forms. This unique Persian rug has 207 x 191 inches with high density (Each square cm has almost 200 knots). The famous ancient Persian poet Saadi (c.1210–1292) is commemorated in the rug's inscription by one of his prominent poems. The translation of the poem the artist chose for the carpet inscription is as follows:
“All human beings are members of one frame,
Since all, at first, from the same essence came.
When time afflicts a limb with pain,
The other limbs cannot at rest remain.
If thou feel not for other’s misery,
A human being is no name for thee.”

The Niavaran Palace Music Room Rug

The Ahmad Seirafian carpet workshop in Isfahan created this small area rug for Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the great king of Iran at the time. It measures 40 by 60 inches and has beautiful Isfahan rug patterns made possible by the high knot density. King orders many carpets and rugs to the Seirafian family for their residence in different palaces. This rug is intended for Niavaran palace, the royal mansion in Tehran, Iran's capital. It is currently preserved in this palace's music chamber.

The Pictorial Rug of Royal Jubilee in Safavid Court

This unique rug is woven by Sadegh Seirafian carpet workshop in a rare design to remember one of the most influential Persian kings in history. You may find fewer Persian rugs with a pictorial pattern, as these designs need delicate weaving techniques and high-grade materials. The Seirafian family was almost the only one who could create such a beautiful design to represent a historical culture. This rug pictures a traditional ceremony to honor Shah Abbas Safavi's kingdom. You can see the king in the center of the rug with a stunning red dress and his attendants around him wearing traditional Persian clothes, and women dancing and musicians playing instruments at the bottom of the rug.

The Royal Wedding of Denmark Carpet

The Seirafian family had participated in one of the world's most glorious and lovely moments with one of his exquisite carpets. Denmark's royal family ordered a magnificent Isfahan rug with an arabesque design to the Seirafian family for the crown prince's wedding in 2004. This rug, with its splendid colors, was placed on the balcony of Amalienborg palace to decorate their wedding scenes and photos.v

Heaven Gate Silk Rug

This captivating silk rug is woven in Mohammad Seirafian's carpet workshop with the most high-quality fibers. The design of this Isfahan silk rug is a combination of ornamental elements of Persian architecture and nature to display the concept and beauty of heaven. The gate reveals a stunning rendition of a lovely oasis in pictures. The wool pile and silk foundation of this handcrafted Persian-style rug has a staggering density of 900 kpsi, and the brilliant colors are all created using natural dyes. The primary inspiration source for the design of this rug is Ali-Qapu palace in Isfahan. This palace has delightful architecture and a particular acoustic room for music, with two walls cut out in the shape of Persian vases and potteries. Also, Muqarnas, a unique ceiling decoration in Persian architecture, is used in the pattern of this rug.

The Eleven Sceneries Rug

This is one of the fantastic Seirafian rug designs by the great artist "Haj Mosavver-Ol-Molki" in three dimensions in hundreds of colors. The main field of pattern includes a view of nature with a beautiful sky, a river, and the trees near it. The border also comprises ten sceneries, each displaying a magnificent Persian heritage in Isfahan architecture. This unique pattern has another composition, like ten views of Isfahan nature on the border instead of ten views of architectural heritages.
Ahmad Seirafian carpet workshops weave this Eleven sceneries rug (the man stranded near the rug in the photo), and its production took almost eight years.

Hunting Rug

Artists and experts say that the Seirafian family's mission was always (and it is still) to keep ancient Persian arts alive. This family revived Safavid arts that were created in their city Isfahan, inside their carpets design. The hunting rug is not a specific rug, but a particular pattern that the Seirafian family has been producing for many years to represent one of the ancient Persian cultures among kings. This remarkable pattern combines human forms on their horses, trying to hunt wild animals and magnificent Eslimi spiral branches and Shah Abbasi flowers. The balance of motifs and the harmony of colors in the hunting rugs by Seirafian family is influenced by Safavid carpet designs.

Seirafian Family Collaborations and Honors

★ The Seirafian family is one of the greatest entrepreneurs in Isfahan, established many carpet workshops in this city
★Reza Seirafian sons were among the best teachers of Persian art and rug teachers
★ This family provided high-quality handmade carpets for many of the palaces and mansions in the world