Afshan Design

In the past, the most famous design that was used for Iranian carpets was the Lachak-Tonraj design, this design had a large medallion in the center of the carpet and Lachaks in the four corners of the carpet, of course, this design is still welcomed by many families. In the following years, the designers of Iranian carpet designs decided to give a new design to the carpet by removing the medallion, and in this way, a design of scattered flowers was created, which was called Afshan.

                Beautiful Mashhad rug with Afshan design

Afshan design is called a design that does not have Lachak-Torang or medallion. It is one of the most original patterns of Iranian carpets, which is used in many machine and hand-woven carpets. Of course, recently, due to the market’s need for a variety of designs, Ashfan designs with Lachak and Toranj have also entered the market.
The word Afshan means scattered and chaotic, and as the name suggests, in this design, the elements are scattered throughout the carpet. Afshan design is generally a combination of Eslimi design and Khatai design. The Khatai design is a symbol of the plant and flower design, which shows a collection of buds, leaves, and flowers on a curved stem. But the Eslimi design is a symbol of a tree and the leaves show a tree, that’s why the Eslimi design may look rougher than the Khatai design.

                   Eslilmi & Khatai motifs on Afshan design

Features of the Afshan design

• The most important characteristic of this design is the absence of a large central role or medallion.
• Continuity and cohesion are the most important features of this design, as if you imagine that the designer has drawn seamlessly from the beginning to the end with the pen and has not stopped the design.
• Unlike the designs of Lachak-Toranj or other designs of Iranian carpets, the similarity between the design of flowers and leaves is not observed in this design.
• Also, due to the absence of medallion in the center of the carpet, the Afshan design makes the space and environment of the house appear larger.