Antique Persian Heriz Runner Size: 2'11" × 13'10" Date: 1880s Material: Wool on Cotton Heriz runners from the 1880s predate the more rigidly geometric Heriz style that would define the region's output in the 20th century. Earlier examples like this one show a more fluid, curvilinear floral sensibility — closer in spirit to the northwest Persian tradition than to the angular medallion format Heriz became known for. The deep navy field runs the full length of the runner, filled with a continuous all-over floral composition — large rosette flower heads, bold serrated leaves, curving vine work, and tulip-like forms in madder red, sky blue, camel, and olive green that spread across the dark ground with real energy. The design has no medallion and no formal repeat; it flows end to end like a garden viewed from above, which gives the runner an organic, unhurried quality. The individual motifs are drawn with the slightly bold, angular hand characteristic of northwest Persian village work. The camel and madder border carries a continuous floral scroll that frames the runner cleanly on both sides. The navy ground has deepened beautifully with age, and the contrast between the dark field and the warm madder and sky blue tones above it is what gives this runner its visual strength. A long, narrow format in genuine antique quality from this period is not easy to find.