Rugs produced during Safavid times in the 17th century, when Isfahan was the capital of Persia. Their designs consist of delicate patterns of arabesque tendrils and cloud bands in rich magenta, blue, and saffron gold. The Isfahan style of enrapturing designs and luxurious materials continued into the 19th and early 20th centuries, although the palette evolved to include softer colors. Antique Isfahan carpets often used silk wefts, although the city's earliest rugs used fine hand-spun cotton.
