The Iranian province Mazanderan is situated between the Caspian Sea and the Elburz mountains. Important cities such as Sari (the province’s capital), Amol, Behshahr and Qa’em Shahr each give their name to a surrounding area, comprising thousands of villages and hamlets.
Today’s production consists of :
Do-la : (double layer) A kilim folded and attached length-wise. Mostly made in plain white colours or with a design of black and white stretched rectangulars.
The do-la is used for protection of the knotted carpets on the floor, or as a blanket.
Do-ru : A double faced kilim that serves as a separation or a front-hanging.
The do-ru from the Hezar-jerib often display a different design on each side. This proves the great skill and technical knowledge of the artisans.
Most Hezar-jerib weavings we find today are in excellent condition.
Mazanderan’s inhabitants provide little information about the age of the weavings that were handed down to them by their parents or great-parents.
The finer pieces were certainly not meant for everyday use. They were often the highlights in a young girl’s dowry.
There are very few elements for an exact dating, so we must rely on our general knowledge of textiles.