Kerman is a city in southeastern Iran and one of the most historically important Persian rug-weaving centers. Kerman has a documented weaving tradition dating to the Safavid period (16th–17th centuries), when the city produced some of the most prized classical carpets — including the famous "Vase carpets" and the Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet (a 17th-century Kerman that set auction records when sold by Sotheby's).
Characteristics of Kerman rugs:
- Refined floral and pictorial designs — Kerman weavers historically produced rugs with elaborate floral medallions, garden designs, pictorial scenes (hunting, palace life, Persian historical figures), and tree-of-life patterns
- Distinctive medallion compositions — often featuring an eight-pointed or rosette medallion with elaborate corner spandrels
- Wide color palette — Kerman rugs use the broadest color vocabulary of any major Persian weaving center, including unusual pinks, soft greens, ivory, and rose tones alongside traditional reds and blues
- Soft wool with notable luster — Kerman wool quality is particularly highly regarded
- Asymmetric knot, with knot densities ranging from 200–500+ KPSI in fine examples
- Cotton foundation
Sub-categories of Kerman weaving:
- Lavar Kerman (also called Raver Kerman) — fine production from the village of Lavar, north of Kerman; among the finest Kerman work
- American Kerman — pieces produced specifically for the American export market in the early-to-mid 20th century, often with simpler, more open designs adapted for Western tastes
- Pictorial Kerman — rugs depicting hunting scenes, Persian gardens, historical figures (such as Cyrus the Great), and palace scenes; collected specifically for narrative content
- Vase carpets — historical Safavid-period Kerman carpets featuring vases of flowers as central design elements; nearly all extant examples are in museum collections
In the contemporary Persian rug market, Kerman remains one of the top-tier weaving categories alongside Isfahan, Nain, Qum, and Tabriz workshop production.