Manouchehr Haghighat
Sofrehs of Persia,Types and places of origin
In Persia there are 3 ways of usage for Sofrehs
Ardi (means "for flour") or bread sofreh, a rather small and square cloth, approximately 1x1 Sq. m, which spread under the tray of dough, while making to prevent scattering flour on the floor.
It has also another use, preserving bread.
When bread is baked, they put it in pages and close it like a bundle, to prevent drying and scattering on the earth. Thus, Ardi Sofreh is called also as "Nan Sofreh" (bread cloth).It is applied by tribes and villagers
Sofreh of tribes and villagers is woolen and woven as kilim. Its appearance (except for its image) caused it to be called usually "kilim", while kilim and sofreh are different and sometimes antithetic
Knowing the fact, that villagers and tribesmen eat their lunch, sitting on the floor. They spread sofreh in eating time and another sofreh for preserving bread. It is not known why no hand woven sofreh remained, specially when we consider that Turkmen, Lor of Lorestan, Khamseh of Fars, Qashqai and Kurd of West Iran, … all have skill in weaving.
Also we have sofrehs size about 150x150 cm,I mean big ones that were used for decorating of korsies(hitter),they are called Ru Korsies.they usually are nicer than 2 past types,with happy colores and strange patterns.
This Sofreh or better Rukorsi Size was used as a Nano or baby bed.the bands in 4 corners is showing way of usage.
The most important sofrehs, woven by tribes residing in Iran are:SHOOSHTAR(IN KHUSESTAN PROVINCE)
Baluch sofreh
Varamin
MAYMEH AREA(MOST FAMOUS VILLAGE OF THIS AREA IS KAMOO BUT WE HAVE OTHER VILAAGES LIKE PANDAS,MOZVASH,TEJEREH,GHOHROOD BUT THE FAMOUS ONE IS KAMOO.
FOR MORE INFORMATION YOU CAN REFER TO KAMOO BOOK BY MR TANAVOLI)
SOFREH OF LORI BAKHTIARI:
There are many sofrehs remained from Lor of Bakhtiari. Those are Ardi, having square dimension, with the same similarity to their salt containers.
All of those sofrehs have a simple combination. Ground of sofreh is divided into two or more sections and in each section uniform and repetitive lozenge images are woven.
Ground is of cotton yarn and its weaving type is kilim weaving double interlocks.
No dining sofreh was seen in this group, one may guess that some of their woven called "Shushtari", or their plain floored kilims might be used as sofre
See Sampel here:
This is not a runner but a guest Sofreh from Shushtar.they are one paires I have.
In Persia there are 3 ways of usage for Sofrehs
Ardi (means "for flour") or bread sofreh, a rather small and square cloth, approximately 1x1 Sq. m, which spread under the tray of dough, while making to prevent scattering flour on the floor.
It has also another use, preserving bread.
When bread is baked, they put it in pages and close it like a bundle, to prevent drying and scattering on the earth. Thus, Ardi Sofreh is called also as "Nan Sofreh" (bread cloth).It is applied by tribes and villagers
Sofreh of tribes and villagers is woolen and woven as kilim. Its appearance (except for its image) caused it to be called usually "kilim", while kilim and sofreh are different and sometimes antithetic
Knowing the fact, that villagers and tribesmen eat their lunch, sitting on the floor. They spread sofreh in eating time and another sofreh for preserving bread. It is not known why no hand woven sofreh remained, specially when we consider that Turkmen, Lor of Lorestan, Khamseh of Fars, Qashqai and Kurd of West Iran, … all have skill in weaving.
Also we have sofrehs size about 150x150 cm,I mean big ones that were used for decorating of korsies(hitter),they are called Ru Korsies.they usually are nicer than 2 past types,with happy colores and strange patterns.
This Sofreh or better Rukorsi Size was used as a Nano or baby bed.the bands in 4 corners is showing way of usage.
The most important sofrehs, woven by tribes residing in Iran are:SHOOSHTAR(IN KHUSESTAN PROVINCE)
Baluch sofreh
Varamin
MAYMEH AREA(MOST FAMOUS VILLAGE OF THIS AREA IS KAMOO BUT WE HAVE OTHER VILAAGES LIKE PANDAS,MOZVASH,TEJEREH,GHOHROOD BUT THE FAMOUS ONE IS KAMOO.
FOR MORE INFORMATION YOU CAN REFER TO KAMOO BOOK BY MR TANAVOLI)
SOFREH OF LORI BAKHTIARI:
There are many sofrehs remained from Lor of Bakhtiari. Those are Ardi, having square dimension, with the same similarity to their salt containers.
All of those sofrehs have a simple combination. Ground of sofreh is divided into two or more sections and in each section uniform and repetitive lozenge images are woven.
Ground is of cotton yarn and its weaving type is kilim weaving double interlocks.
No dining sofreh was seen in this group, one may guess that some of their woven called "Shushtari", or their plain floored kilims might be used as sofre
See Sampel here:
This is not a runner but a guest Sofreh from Shushtar.they are one paires I have.
