Investigating the Types of the Borders in Safavid Carpets

Abstract
The design is always regarded as the principal feature of the carpet. One of the important and determining factors in the design of the carpet is the significance of the border and its role in the overall composition. The border is one of the consistent, traditional and original elements of the carpet which plays an indispensable role in creating a visually appropriate space in the carpet design. The variety of borders in the historical periods of carpets’ design has always been considered by carpet designers. Thus, extensive needs and different tastes in the field of carpet design require review and revision of existing designs and plans. In the Safavid period, which was one of the most brilliant periods of Iranian art, special attention was paid to the carpet weaving. Accordingly, in this study, the authors focused on the prominent exemplars of Safavid carpets with a special attention on recognizing the types of border designs and the elements which were used. The research as the fundamental and qualitative study has been carried out by the analytical and descriptive methods. The main data was collected through the library studies, and the results were presented through the proper tables and diagrams. The results of this study demonstrate that the borders of the Safavid carpets were mostly designed in the form of triple margins. Furthermore, the borders were wider than the principal design, and the small outer edge was visibly wider than the small inner edge. While the use of inscription designs was more popular than other ones, most of the designs used in the borders of this period included Shah Abbasi, arabesque, and framing which were ornamented with motifs of animals, humans, angels and mythical creatures.