Seraband

Style of textiles, particularly floor coverings handwoven in the Sarāband area, southwest of Arak in west-central Iran. The rugs are characterized as dating from the 19th and early 20th centuries, being of sturdy construction, and having a distinctive pattern known commercially as the "mir" design, which comprises small, complex leaf (boteh) or leaf forms in diagonal rows with tips pointed alternately in opposite directions. A geometric vine with similar leaf forms usually occupies the principal border stripe. There may be geometric cornerpieces or a small, similarly geometric central medallion. The ground is red, dark blue, or ivory; the knotting is symmetrical on a cotton foundation. Large Seraband rugs are narrower than room dimension.