The central medallion of this hand-knotted rug commands the room before anything else does. A large diamond form in ivory and crimson floats at the center of a deep navy field, its edges dissolving into arabesque palmettes and scrolling vines that reach toward the four corners. The entire field — inside and outside the medallion — is covered in the Herati Mahi pattern: the ancient repeating motif of a rosette framed in a diamond with curving lance-shaped leaves, known in Persian as Mahi, meaning fish, for the way the paired leaves circle each flower like fish around a lily. In natural light, the pattern reveals extraordinary depth. From a distance, it reads as a richly textured field. Up close, the precision of each repeated unit — hundreds of them, each identically proportioned — speaks to a knot count and a level of skill that separates this rug from everything around it. What sets this piece apart is its combination of pattern vocabulary and scale. The Herati Mahi medallion composition is among the most formally accomplished designs in the oriental rug tradition, woven in the finest workshop style and historically associated with Tabriz and Herat — the two great weaving cities that defined this pattern lineage. At just under ten feet by six feet eight inches, it is the right size for a formal living room, a dining room with a large table, or a primary bedroom. The navy field grounds it without making it heavy. It pairs naturally with dark wood, brass and leather, and works equally well against white walls and contemporary furniture. Dimensions: 9'11" x 6'8" / 302 x 207 cm Place of Origin: Northern Afghanistan — Herati workshop tradition Pattern: Herati Mahi medallion with allover fish repeat and scrolling border Material: 100% hand-spun wool pile on cotton foundation Dyes: Natural vegetable dyes — indigo navy, madder red, plant green, ivory Weave: Hand-knotted, high knot density fine workshop weave Condition: Excellent — professionally hand-washed, ready to install Stock No: 3599 The Herati pattern originates in Herat, the great historic city of western Afghanistan that gave the weaving world one of its most enduring design vocabularies. From Herat the Mahi motif spread westward through Persia into Tabriz and beyond, becoming the signature of the finest Persian medallion carpets. Afghan weavers in the northern provinces have long produced their own interpretation of this tradition, achieving the same high knot densities and design precision through generations of inherited craft knowledge. This rug comes from a family with four decades of direct sourcing experience in the weaving villages of northern Afghanistan. My grandfather began trading these rugs on the streets of Islamabad in the 1980s — a refugee who built a business from nothing, sleeping beside his inventory and storing his rugs at the local mosque. My father carried that forward. I have spent my entire life with these textiles, and every piece I sell is chosen with firsthand knowledge of its origin and its making. Care: Rotate periodically for even wear. Vacuum on low suction without beater bar. Professional cleaning every few years. A quality rug pad is strongly recommended.