Mahmoud Erami was born in the city of Kashan in 1915. He goes on to become one of the luminaries of the Persian carpet industry. By the age of 10, young Mahmoud left his city of birth after losing his mother and joined his maternal uncle in the holy city of Qum. Despite his young age, he displayed aptitude and eagerness as an apprentice. He was trained by well-known masters of the time who groomed him for several years as he became familiar with the know-hows of carpet design, weaving and production. By the age of 20 he was considered a master in his field and he took on apprentices, teaching the next generation in the up and coming carpet industry of the city of Qum.
He continued producing carpets until the final years of his life and magnificent pieces of art remain as his legacy. He passed away at the age of 75, and his sons; Reza, Akbar, and Hossein have continued his work.
His oldest son, Reza Erami, having learned the techniques of carpet production from his father and the intricate skills of carpet-weaving from his mother, joined his father after graduating in literature. Reza ushered in significant changes to the style of the carpets the family produced. Key among his innovations are the Shah-Abbassi floral design complemented with a unique color pallette that underscores innovation and a departure from the past.
Reza Erami is an artist who is always eager to learn as he is inspired by the world around him and the opportunities to better his knowledge. He does not see himself as a master.
In addition to the world of design, colors, and fabrics, he is also familiar with classical Iranian music compositions, has a beautiful voice, and sings once in a while for the sake of pleasure. He is also a calligrapher and writes poems from time to time.
For more than 60 years he has been weaving and has been sharing his knowledge and expertise benevolently with the current generation active in the carpet industry of Iran. He has spent half of his professional life, working as an honorary carpet expert without receiving financial benefits, and with the sole objective of serving the art of carpet weaving in Iran.
Since 1988, his son, Amirhossein Erami, has stepped into the colorful world of carpets, sharing his passion and enthusiasm for his family’s work and investing time and energy in furthering the art of Qum’s silk carpets as one of Iran’s premier luxury handicrafts.
While learning and gaining expertise and knowledge in carpet production through his father, he has also aimed to set himself apart and continue his family’s work by innovating and changing, yet remaining true to the principles that maintain the place of Persian carpets as a national heritage.
After decades of hard work, through trial and error, working in both the national and international markets, with direct contacts with customers and interior designers, and understanding the variety of tastes and changing habits, paying special attention to the principles of simplicity and beauty, he has succeeded in paving a new path of design unique to Erami rugs.
This journey has resulted in the cohesive elements of beauty, heritage and tradition, encapsulated in Erami rugs. In his opinion, handwoven carpets are a symbol of art and an inseparable part of the interior design of a living space and as such, it is essential to pay attention to the taste and desires of silk hand-woven carpet enthusiasts who consider it as an artistic and luxurious craft.
The existing high standards of Erami rugs is indebted to more than a century of expertise gathered and layered through multi generations of masters, weavers, designers, and those with whom they crossed paths. We are grateful to our ancestors and bear the responsibility of our shared heritage that we continue by producing, designing and weaving Iranian carpets as the emblem of modern, traditional, historical and contemporary Iranian culture.