During the 19th century, American rug enthusiasts mistakenly attributed rugs from Northwest Persia as Native American weavings from the Serapi tribe. Today, the name “Serapi,” although geographically inaccurate, is often applied to an outstanding 19th century carpet from the Heriz providence, located in Northwest Persia or East Azarbayjan.
Rugs from this area are immediately recognizable for their sumptuous warm color palette and large scale designs, often centered around a medallion. Although medallion designs are not the only format for a Serapi, it is the most often seen for this type of carpet.
The most desirable Serapi carpets exhibit an uncluttered yet abstract form language of stylized plant and animal motifs; they are finely woven and finished with a low cut pile. These carpets were woven in small scale rural workshops. Often, a master weaver, usually from Tabriz, would oversee the production of multiple rugs at once and thus large, sophisticated carpets were created from a seemingly modest origin.
Additionally, because of its rich agricultural location, weavers in Northwest Persia had access to an abundance of dye stuffs and created some of the most beautifully colored carpets ever seen. During the 20th century, however, as the export market for these carpets increased, the designs became more structured and the weaving coarser. Heriz carpets flooded the market in the west by the 1930s, and with the advent of chemical dyes and bleached wool, these rugs no longer represented the magnificent “Serapis” of the previous century.
