Abstract Roots of Heris Carpet

Motifs pass through the mental filters of different people. The time and mind canals govern key roles in forming the designs. Most of the carpets’ designs and motifs are the products of the cultural exchanges among different nations and races. Cultural and social products such as stories, dialects, traditions, customs etc. are exchanged among different nations and races, meanwhile get local characteristics; motifs are also not apart from this formula. They are also modified and changed in the process of movement from one location to another one. Each motif can be considered as the offspring of the social needs of its community in a certain period of time. The cursive designs of Heris also follow such formula. The organic and urban designs (i.e. Shah Abbassi medallion design) have been changed into a geometrical design by the carpet weavers and consequently innovative visual models have been introduced to visual culture of the carpets as the result of gradual mental-oriented changes and modification of those designs. The relationship between some motifs in Heris carpets such as: “Gobak”, “Lalak”, “Toosbagha” etc. and mythological elements is significant. The mental-oriented weavers of this field have created a collection of new motifs by utilizing simile and abstraction.