Iranian Silk Ikat Cloth, Early 20th C.

Ikat is a resist dyeing and weaving technique common to many world cultures. It is probably one of the oldest forms of textile decoration. It is currently most prevalent in Indonesia, India and Japan. However, Ikat weaving also has a long tradition in the central Iranian city of Yazd, and it has its own design language, making the Yazd silk ikats much different from those woven in central and southeast Asia, and significantly more rare.

The Persian name for Ikat weaving is daraee, which means wealth, as these fabrics were mostly bought by the wealthy, and were often included in a bride’s dowry during wedding ceremonies.

This large Persian Ikat cloth, dating from the early 20th Century, is very well preserved and mounted on a black frame to be used as a wall decoration.