Haghighi Masters
Ahmad Archang
Ahmad Archang was born in1914. From the age of twelve he began designing and drawing cartoons for rugs. In his youth, he engaged in this trade in the workshops of Mehdi Haghighi, Abdolrahim Shureshi and Anssari. He passed away in the winter of 1990.The following excerpt is from Master designers of Persian Rugs’ about Ahmad Archang:
The name of Ahmad Archang shines high among rug designers. In reality that which is a reminder of the pure art of the Safavid era and the revival of traditional designs in Esfahan of today can be seen at their height of beauty in the rugs of Archang. The name of this artist on any rug heightens its artistic integrity value. He uses traditional elements such as arabesques and khatai motifs with such strong artistic sense and his flower and leaves are rendered in such a strong hand and with such imagination that each of his rugs are set apart from those of others. Archang has shown once more that the art of traditional Persian design can be the recipient of worldly praise. The design of rug N” 135 on the opposite page (measuring 1.7 square meters and with a raj count of 80) and rug N”s 136, 137 and 138 are examples of his work
Rostam Shirazi
Javad Rostam Shirazi was born in 1919 in Esfahan. He was a student of Eissa Bahadori and was among the first graduates of the Honarestan (College of Fine Arts) in 1943. After a thirty-three-year tenure at the Honarestan, Shirazi retired in 1976 and continued to create works of art independently. He passed away in 2005. Mr. Shirazi was among the first rate rug designers of Esfahan and in the arts of miniature and illumination he was also considered as one of the best in this city. In addition to his rug designs, which have mainly been produced by the Haqiqi ảnd Seiraffian families, other valuable works by him, such as miniature, illumination and tile works in mosques exist. In 1958, he was the recipient of the Gold Medal of Painting from Belgium. Rug N’ 134 on the opposite page (measuring 4 square meters and with a raj count of 80) is one of the tens rugs designed by Mr. Shirazi.
Eissa Bahadori
Eissa Bahadori was born in 1905 in one of the villages of Arak called Bozchallu. Upon completing his education, he went to Tehran to further his studies at the Kamal-ol- Molk School. As he had a thirst for pursuing the national arts, at every opportunity he would travel to Esfahan and spend extended hours copying designs found in plaster moldings and paintings of historic buildings. After completing his studies at the art school, Eissa Bahadori was hired by the Fine Arts Institute of Tehran and, while teaching, began creating cartoons for rugs. In 1936, he accepted the position of director of the newly established Art School of Esfahan. In his thirty- year incumbency, this school developed into one of main centers for the preservation and revival of the Persian arts. Eissa Bahadori had outstanding skill in creating innovative cartoons for rugs. Several outstanding rugs bearing his designs are housed at the National Arts Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Esfahan. He was a skillful artist and one of his paintings titled “The Avecinna Gathering” is housed at the Louvre Museum in Paris. He has created fine designs in the fields of inlay work, mosaic, tile work, gold brocading and metal engraving. During the course of his life, he was presented with several artistic awards and honors such as the Diploma of Honor and Gold Medal of the International Brussels Exhibition and the Chevalier of Arts and Sciences award of France. Of his famous designs rendered in rugs are the bashariat, setareh daryai and shekaar-e charkh. Eissa Bahadori, passed away in 1986 in France and was laid to rest at the Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. On the opposite page is rug N° 133 (measuring 20 square meters with a raj count of 70) the design of which was created by the Late Eissa Bahadori and is currently housed at the Carpet Museum of Iran. 1. Source: Shirin Sour-Esrafil, Tarrahan-e Bozorg-e Farsh-e Iran [Master Designers of Persian Rugs] (Tehran: Peykan Press, 2002).
Mirza Agha Emami
Mirza Aqa Emami was born in Esfahan and passed away in 1955 at the age of seventy-five in his city of birth. Of the apprehensions of his youth and young adulthood were the destruction and collapse of the architectural works of the Safavid era in his beloved Esfahan. His deep and profound look at these works, instilled within his being an enthusiasm for studying art but not until his father approved that he spend half the day studying religion and the other half in pursuit of drawing and the art of making pen cases. This was while a trade in pursuing drawing and miniature in the conditions and circumstances of the end of the Qajar era was not considered as desirable. Inevitably, to avoid the reproach of those around him, and with the consent of his father, he studied and practiced in private.In order to fulfill his aspirations, Mirza Aqa Emami, along with several other artists of Esfahan, at first set at the revival of the art of making a kind of book cover called sukht (embossed and inlaid leather work) but the flourishing of Book covers painted in oil paints during the Qajar did not allow this art to expand. He did not give in and by creating sukht Tableaux, he Added to the Beauty and grandeur of the heritage left by those long gone. The sukht artist had to have complete knowledge and skill in all the methods and secrets of the seven arts combined (miniature, illumination, Tashir,calligraphy. gold-leafing, muarrag on leather, and adornment of the frames) to create the sukht tableaux or book covers. The skill Oi Master Emami in these arts resulted in an exquisite colleclion of works.This master had an able hand in the fields of portraiture, animal rendering, flower and bird, flower and shrubs and design of cartoons. His attention to the art of rug making so motivated him that along with the establishment of a rug weaving workshop, he endeavored at the improvement of Cartoons and the Creation of extremely fine designs for rugs.
Designs of Rug N”$ 123, 124 and 129 -132 are examples Of his work.