A Comparative Study on Lachak and Toranj Design Between Joshaghan of Kashan and Saman of Bakhtiari Region

  Lachak Toranj is one of the most used designs in Persian carpets. There are many different Lachak Toranj styles one of which is used to weave carpets in Joshaghan region located in Esfahan province. This style is in some ways similar to some carpets woven using the Lachak Toranj style of Saman region located in Chaharmahal-Va-Bakhtiari province. These similarities despite the long distance between the two regions is the reason behind this comparative study on the carpets woven in these two regions, therefore this article’s questions focus on the similarities and differences in these two styles of Lachak Toranj’s motif and design. The outcome of this study showed that despite the clear effect of Joshaghan’s carpet design on the Saman’s Lachak Toranj style and the similarities between the styles of these two regions, the reflection of weavers social and cultural features on the Lachak Toranj style of Saman created an independent identity for this region’s carpets. Some of the differences between these two styles are removal or replacement of some patterns in the design, different margins in Saman carpets, and diversity of Joshaghan’s carpet designs. This is a qualitative study using a descriptive-comparative approach on field data and library researches.