Then, again, a repeated
design is laid out over the field. Designs of the tree, palm, and
rosette, and various floral forms appear. By examining the web at one
end, a design in colored wool is generally found. In one of these rugs
in my own collection the centre contains twelve different symbolical
designs, including the turtle, comb, star, and cross, while the corner
areas and borders hold at least thirty-five others. All of them are so
carefully woven that much thought must have been bestowed upon this very
strong, splendid rug.

_Laristan_ (see Niris) rugs.

_Meshhed_ (see Khorassan) rugs.

_Mir-Saraband_ (see Saraband) rugs.

_Muskabad_ (see Sultanabad) rugs.

_Niris_ rugs are made a little to the southeast of Shiraz, in the
province of Laristan, and the latter name is that used in the Western
markets. All around Lake Niris are pastured sheep with fine lustrous
wool which is used in the manufacture of rugs. In the modern ones floral
and geometric stripes often alternate through the field, or there is a
medallion in the centre of a plain field, with corner areas. The border
carries several designs. There is a checked effect in the webbing at the
ends. The rugs are very strong and excellent for hard use. In the older
ones blue was used in the field, with rather large forms of the palm
leaf.

_Oustri-Nan_ rugs have the palm-leaf design over the field, and a good
deal of white in the borders. They are firm and durable.

_Saraband_ (Serebend) rugs are woven in the district of Sarawan. They
always have a distinct feature in the small palm leaves that fill the
field. These leaves have the hook turned at the top from left to right
in one row, and right to left in the next. Usually the field that these
palm leaves adorn is soft red or rose in color. Again it may be deep
blue, or occasionally ivory, in which case the palm design is in red or
blue. The border is always harmonious, and there are many narrow stripes
which form it. The widest one is generally in an ivory tone, while the
undulating vine and small flower forms appear in some of the borders.
Then, too, one finds the Caucasian influence in some of the borders, and
the reciprocal trefoil is often seen. Occasionally a human figure is
carefully outlined in the border, and this brings a personal element
into the rug. Then again, the date is woven in. Mir is the name of the
village in this district where the design had its source, and in the
trade to-day the fin