Contemporary Ardebil rugs, which are produced in and around the village of Ardebil in the Azerbaijan province of north-west Persia, bear resemblance to magnificent 16th and 17th century floral carpets such as the one in the Victoria and Albert Museum, which are associated with this name. They are rather coarsely knotted on cotton wraps –with between 60 and 150 Turkish knots per inches – using fairly thick yarns of not particularly lustrous wool, which normally clipped to form a medium or short/medium pile.
Ardebil designs are predominately geometric, with a distinct Caucasian influence: bright reds, deep blues and ivory, as well as time and yellow ochre’s figure strongly in the dyer’s palette. The most popular compositions are based around central medallions, pole medallions (usually 2 or 3 connected diamonds) and repeating octagonal forms, but other Caucasian inspired designs are sometimes employed. Ardebils are very similar in both appearance and construction to rug made by a number of other groups in the region, the name is sometimes used rather more collectively than it should – but items produced in the village can often be distinguished by their use of an ivory field with green or limit ochre elements in design.
Ardebils are produced in most sizes and are often boldly attractive and hard wearing. Copies are now made by Indian weaver; usually with more subdue colours and longer piles.