Form Analysis of a Number of Safavid Carpets Called Polish (Polonaise) Carpets

The Safavid era can be undoubtedly considered as the flourishing and most important period of carpet weaving in Iran. Among the huge number of outstanding carpets of this era, the Polish (Polonaise) carpets are regarded as one of the most significant groups. These carpets are originally Iranian, and according to some researchers and the obtained documents, brocade carpets of this period have been produced in most carpet-weaving areas of Iran, but it is assumed that many of these carpets have been woven in Kashan. Among the characteristics of this group of carpets, in addition to quality, elegance, and being brocade, the rich design and pattern, different composition, and also a harmony with specific colors which are frequently seen in these works can be mentioned. In the present research, after investigating and introducing the features of Polish carpets, the general classification of this collection has been provided; subsequently, according to the performed classification, the samples were tabulated, and their details were studied. The research method has been a descriptive-analytical one, and the data collection has been performed through a library method (books and internet websites). Since the number of statistic society was limited, according to the low degree of accessibility, all the samples were counted. The obtained results indicate the diversity and expansion of designs and patterns in the entire collection of Polish carpets, so that only a few pairs of carpets have been obtained from this group. The simultaneous and reasonable application of Arabesque and Khatayies on the background of these carpets, use of light colors, creating composition and positive and negatives spaces with the use of arabesque rope are among the distinctive features of Polonaise carpets from other Safavid carpets.