$650. A black field is set with bold coral, cream and blue floral ornament, framed by a blue and ivory border of classical Persian pattern and finished with a red selvedge. Hamedan is built on the site of Ecbatana, capital of the Medes and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, and it serves as the market town for several hundred surrounding villages whose looms feed into the trade under its name. Hamedan weaving is single-wefted, a construction that gives the rugs their characteristic firm, slightly ribbed handle and makes them notably hard-wearing for their weight. The slightly irregular hand of the drawing is exactly what distinguishes village work from workshop production. Design pattern: Allover floral ornament on black ground, Hamedan. Size: 3'6" x 4'9". Gallery Collection.