Nain is a small city located about 150 km east of Isfahan in the Great Central Desert of Iran.

Carpet production in Nain is relatively recent compared to other, more established production centers. Carpets produced in Nain are in high demand worldwide.

Typical Colors

The characteristic colors are intense blue on an ivory background; red and green are also used as color details in rarer, and consequently more valuable, carpets. Natural pigments extracted from plants, barks, insects, or minerals are used.

Texture and Quality

They are recognized as carpets of the highest quality. With a pleasant and firm texture, their consistency varies in direct relation to the knot count.

Their design is sophisticated and of great beauty, which is why they are highly valued in the Western world.

Dense pile, firm and solid consistency. High knot density allows for very good definition even in the smallest figures of their design. In many cases, they have silk embroidery, which increases their value.

The design is more modern, and one of its most remarkable characteristics is the presence of a central medallion surrounded by small figures and complex border designs. The wool used is fine and soft, which gives it a very pleasant feel.

Base Structure

Cotton warp, cotton and, in some cases, silk weft.

The Persian knot is used in the manufacture of these carpets.

There is a special element for classifying the quality of Nain carpets: the LAA, which refers to the number of threads in the fringe.

The fewer threads in a fringe, the higher the quality, as the warp will be finer in this case, and consequently the carpet must have a higher knot count. A good quality Nain is 9 LAA, and a very good one is 4 LAA.

Price

There is a high demand for this type of carpet. Prices vary significantly in relation to knot count, silk embroidery, and LAA characterization.

As they are highly sought-after pieces, they are medium to high-priced. A wide variety of sizes can be found, but most are medium-sized.