Kerman Salatin Modern Carpet Furniture, an originality which remains in the minds and memories

Kerman is the city of looms and carpets and seniority of handicrafts of this region especially the carpet and its noble art export have been famous among tourists and narrators of Kerman past culture all over the world.

Besides the Kermani noble handmade carpets, you may still can see old carpet pillows and small mattresses in your grandfathers houses, these pillows and small mattresses that surely existed in every house have been today replaced with another thing called Kerman carpet furniture.

Carpet furniture is the asset and ornament of home of many people in Kerman and looms in the dowry of the girls of this region in an eye-catching manner. Carpet furniture, the traditional furniture with coverage of handmade carpet, has an old precedence in Kerman.

If you travel to Kerman and ask from any passerby about Kerman noble carpet furniture, surely people will show and introduce you one name and address, Salatin carpet furniture fair, since Salatin furniture still sparkles as a brand in the ground of carpet furniture in the mind and culture of Kerman people and even Iran that we may say that the main bed and origin of this noble and valuable art is exactly here, in Shahid Rajaei or Khorshid St., before bank Resalat, Salatin Kariman Modern Carpet Manufacturing Co., fair and gallery of Kerman Nouhi Salatin furniture, as the most noble and main manufacturer of carpet furniture in Iran, provides the newest and of highest quality unique product and undoubtedly, by entering here, that is gallery of Nouhi Salatin Furniture, luster and delicacy of various carpet furniture will astonished you, an industry that has hidden latent ministries of art in its chest and color in color, pattern in pattern is the outcome of men and women who have created some roles that dazzles the eyes and the surely won't leave there without purchasing this noble and valuable art.

Production of carpet furniture has been inherited chest to chest and has reached Mr. Haj Mahmoud Nouhi, insofar as now the name of Nouhi and Mr. Alireza Nouhi as a very high quality brand introduces Kerman carpet furniture.

Late Mohammad Hossein Nouhi, had 6 sons that one of the sons (Mahmoud Nouhi) continued his father occupation and yet today Mr. Alireza Nouhi is one of main masters of Kerman carpet furniture and most of people of Kerman consider carpet furniture integrate with the name of Mr. Alireza Nouhi and know Salatin furniture shop which is the first designer and central manufacturer of carpet furniture and seat in Kerman, as the highest quality manufacturer of Kerman carpet furniture and anyone who is seeking noble and very high quality furniture, surely refers to Salatin Furniture of Mr. Alireza Nouhi so that uses the handicraft of this expert master in the field of carpet furniture with relief and enjoy the unique quality of his furniture.

Mr. Alireza Nouhi , one of main masters of Kerman carpet furniture says: Kerman province like all regions of Iran has some artists who created various handicrafts with their galore taste and creativity since a long time ago, the antiquity of Kerman carpet furniture as a traditional furniture with a coverage of handmade carpet which has a long antiquity and ornaments most Kermani people homes as a luxury stuff with an antiquity more than 170 years is considered one of the most valuable and special noble Iranian furniture. Carpet furniture is a combination of art of carpet weaver of Kerman that due to high quality of furniture and carpet has been transferred from one generation to the other as a perdurable heritage and passage of time has added its value.

He continues: with the research I did from my grandfather when he was alive, he said that: his father late Gholamali was a very skillful carpenter and made very beautiful and valuable means with elementary and old tools of carpentry, my grandfather learned the handicraft art of him and made beautiful appliances with little facilities such as traditional furniture, marquetry table, tar, fiddle and even some agricultural instruments like pitchfork, Gavgard and also many handicrafts.

Mr. Alireza Nouhi adds: among all sons, my father concerning lack of financial facilities couldn’t continue school and learned all works and from childhood began activity in this field. My father has a great interest in making furniture and manufactures and offered furniture with coverage of handmade carpet and textile. The industry of furniture with carpet coverage, has reached my father Mahmoud Nouhi from my grandfather Mohammad Hossein Nouhi and then it reached me. I tried to manufacture the furniture with handmade carpet with a modern method and change it that happily it was greatly welcomed in Kerman province and other cities and even abroad so that it even influenced the steel and textile furniture. I have the honor of being the originator of carpet furniture with lion arm and rock carpet furniture and carpet seat. In this way that I firstly began working with the same size of carpet and then I made coordination with carpet weaver masters and miniaturized the seat carpet design and then I executed it on seat and rock furniture that this design also faced great reception.

He says at that time concerning that we didn’t have a desirable financial status, I was involved in big and small problems for supplying my life and since I always liked to be independent and work in myself, I get determined and I purchased trees of walnut, elaeagnus angustifolia, berry and elm from around Kerman and cut their two ends with saw and I cut and dried them next to Moayedi Yakhdan, Abouhamed St. which was useless at that time and manufactured furniture, table, handicrafts, sport appliances ( rod, rock, swimming board, Makiwaras pad, tonva and Naunchaku). At that time I both worked and did exercises that most old and master athletes well know me.

Mr. Alireza Nouhi continues that at the time of livings of my grandfather, Mr. Mohammadhossein Nouhi, he selected a number of trunks of berry and walnut trees that I cut from surrounding and I cut them in sizes and dimensions he said, I lathed the tar tune in the size he asked and I cut a number of camel bones as straps which were installed under the tar cord for beauty and due to great interest I had my grandfather taught me making tar and I used science and experiences of this great master.

My dear grandfather was a man with agonistic character and very strong, humble, with ample literacy and experience and a unique purposeful and virtuous artist and in his leisure time, he composed poems and he was a poet that most Kerman people and also other cities artists know him and reminisce him well, God rest his soul.

He adds that late Haj Habibollah Mahboob who was one of masters and artists living in vicinity of my father shop, helped me in manufacturing carpet furniture, this dear master donated me a prayer bracelet which is very valuable for me and with consultation of my father and late Mahboob I changed the name of Nouhi carpet furniture manufacturing workshop to Salatin carpet furniture, God rest his soul.

Mr. Alireza Nouhi states that I worked for a while before late master Haj Reza Kamyabi who is one of skillful masters and artists in the field of carpentry. This artist taught me many works and I have the honor that I was once his worker and trainee and God rest his soul and also I mention Master Habibollah Someh one of Kerman famous artists and masters, God rest his soul.

He adds I have worked in Esfahan, Tehran and Malaier with many skillful workmen and learnt diaphoretic, wood carving, wood turning, inlay, net cutting, cover nailing, coloring and many other arts. At that time I remember when I was a worker, I worked in Tehran, Yaftabad in one of garages before late Master Khakbaza and even didn’t have a place for sleep, my master allowed me to sleep in the workshop, I remember that because of severe cold, I got out wood chaffs beneath grate and slept on the. At first my wage was very little and I couldn’t save any money, even with that wage I couldn’t buy two meals and if someday I bought a sandwich ate it in three turns, for breakfast, dinner and lunch and time went so hard. The more I learnt, my wage was added, in Esfahan I worked before late Master Saniei, one of woodcarver and sculptor artists and he taught me woodcraft and lion face on the furniture arm. In Malaier (Jorjoon Kuh) I worked before Master Torkashvand, God rest his soul. So, with determination and ample effort and relying on God I could become an experienced master.

As I mentioned, there are many skillful and famous masters in industrial cities like Esfahan, Tehran, Malaier and Ghom that I am apprentice of them and request their permission.

Mr. Alireza Nouhi, main master of carpet furniture in Kerman continues that I made the skeleton of the carpet furniture in traditional manner, then I designed a furniture whose arm was a lion, I cut its teeth from pistachio wood which is very hard, I know myself as originator of the first carpet furniture with lion arm, this furniture was greatly welcomed in Tehran, Shiraz and surrounding towns. Later, I manufactured and presented many designs and models, like traditional sofa, swan arm, Achaemenid, wood turning, python and snake arm, steel and semi-steel and even I brought a raw rock and executed the lion statue on that rock, I have lived in my own and I didn’t get any money from my mother and father and I worked and progressed with my wage.

He states that at present I have a relatively equipped workshop and fair and my two sons also work in the carpet furniture industry, manufacturing and selling furniture. I believe that at first God and them my parents prayer caused my progress in work, concerning the labors I have tolerated for this carpet furniture industry, I know it may duty to mention some issues for clarifying some arisen problems.

Since some people, with similar surname, with false and untrue advertisements and that they hadn’t made even a furniture by themselves, misused my fame and as I previously said I began my work from early stage that is cutting trees to the last stage of manufacturing furniture with carpet coverage in many new designs and I have worked so hard and now they easily misuse this and attribute my years of effort to themselves and use my brand and shop name for selling their furniture or claim to be expert, is their job legally correct and what this can be called? If they have any claim that they are manufacturer of furniture and carpet furniture, this is what people know better, I am gladly ready to suggest that these people who just claim with false advertisement, in the virtual space where they advertise to be invited on behalf of respective and competence organizations along with me and in the virtual space some questions to be imposed to specify that when they got interested in furniture manufacturing and who has been their master and what furniture they have made by themselves and delivered to which customer and if they have any art except salesmanship, tell so that others benefit and I will pose other questions.

Dimensions of furniture and size of carpets that I and my father have worked on it and are specified and that they give this dimensions and picture of furniture to artist and experienced masters of other cities like Esfahan, Ghom, Tehran and so on and attribute their manufacturing to themselves and tell I am manufacturer and producer of the furniture, it is not correct in my and other experts view and it is away from ethical behavior and humanity. Carpet furniture has been first made in Kerman and I mentioned that what people have labored that this carpet furniture has got famous.

So, as I mentioned for clarifying and reminding these people and informing dear friends I said that I began from zero and till now I hadn’t get any help or money from anybody even as loan and like some I didn’t get money without labor from my father to become rich overnight and to progress and I don’t expect my relatives death so that after their death get their heir or sell the property that my father has devoted to patients and poor during his life and suddenly get rich and try to deceive others with affability and chattiness.

My parents are alive and they have been witness that I worked with many hardships and learned the job and I don’t have any expectation of my family wealth and money, at first God and then my parents prayer made me successful and I wish my parents live 120 years and be with me and I have the opportunity to serve them in their elderly and I just ask God their health.

He mentioned that for raising the quality level of products and also variety and updating products inspiring the experiences in this field, they have been prepared from the best type of wood of beech, maple, walnut and plane trees and the best raw material in color and cover have been used.

I thank handicrafts and industries organization which is the support of artists and all masters especially carpet wavers and furniture manufacturers and I show a great respect for them and ask God their health, a long life with honor, success and pride, with the hope of a day when we are exporter and don’t need import of wooden industries.

Also, I appreciate members of this guild union, Mr. Haj Abbas Abolhasani and Mr. Mehdi Ghazi Zadeh and Mr. Haj Akbar Anjom Shoae who are serving in this guild union for a long time. God support them, I am the same sufferer worker I had been, with educational degree of 4th grade of elementary school, I am not engineer and I haven’t studied in university, I try to serve people and I have no claim.

Also, it should be mentioned that dear authorities of carpenters and carpet manufacturer should notice that for investigating, assign any part of the work to the person who is elite and erudite not the one who has been just seller or beholder and merely has seen or heard some information. Mr. Haj Ali Iranmanesh is one of members of guild union and master of wood coloring, an experienced, elite, faithful and athlete person who has enough skill in the expertise matter, so I believe that the expert should be experienced and confirmed by all as him so that no right is spoiled of anyone, expertise is not the job anyone can do and merely family fame, financial status and advertisement has nothing to do with skill for expertise, the expert should be veteran, skillful, knowing and faithful.

Mr. Alireza Nouhi, the owner of high quality brand of Salatin modern carpet furniture continues that reception of compatriots from Kerman Noble carpet furniture indicates the art of artists of handicrafts of this province and delicacy of their products and I leave Salatin Kariman modern carpet furniture as a national and traditional brand with logo of Noah ship in your home with life and antiquity of Noah as traditional reminder of Kariman region and appreciate efforts of experts and God bless you.

In the name of God

(Introduction of Mr. Alireza Nouhi)

As one of the oldest designers of the carpet furniture in the late 40 years, I required that generally introduce the innovation background of carpet furniture clearly and honestly and away from any advertisement for Kerman people, we hope that inventors of this artistic value is adequately introduced to people devoted to Kariman regions arts.

By investigation of research about my late grandfather, Mr. Mohammadhossein Nouhi (known as Haj Mashaallah), he said that his father, late Mr. Gholamali Nouhi, was a skillful carpenter and made very beautiful and valuable means with elementary and old tools of carpentry, and following him my grandfather learned the handicraft art of him and made beautiful appliances with little facilities such as traditional furniture, marquetry table, tar, fiddle and even some agricultural instruments like pitchfork, Gavgard and also many handicrafts. At the same time, he was very literate and composed poems and liked literature. God rest his soul.

After my father, Mr. Haj Mahmoud Nouhi, since his childhood till about 75 years ago followed the way of my grandfather and concerning lack of finical facilities with the aid of God, strong will and perseverance and day and night effort manufactured carpet furniture and in case of order by the customer also made textile furniture.

And our talk to Haj Mahmoud Nouhi, main master manufacturer of carpet furniture in the province and country

Dear Mr. Haj Mahmoud Nouhi, please shortly talk about history and records of carpet furniture.

In the name of God, Carpentry occupation has been inherited to us from my grandfather late Gholamali Nouhi who was a carpenter master in all the fields and then my later father, Mohammad Hossein Nouhi. So that it seems as if carpentry occupation exists in our blood, since childhood I was companion of wood and carpentry tools. I remember that with my father went to surrounding villages and purchased walnut tree and other trees and traveled a long distance on foot and I cut the two ends of trees and turned them to smaller sizes and reached ourselves to the city and the shop on foot with great suffer and with old carpentry tools we had brought to the workplace, cut the trunks to sizes we wanted and cut the two ends with crow and saw and restrained them without clamp just with flagon we had made in the trunk and grate them and we tolerated many hardships. At that time, there was no electricity and all jobs were just performed with elementary tools with hand. My late father, Mr. Mohammad Hossein Nouhi that I was his assistant and also I was very interested in carpentry works, among my brothers I couldn’t go to school and I was his assistant full time. He taught me all his art and since the beginning I manufactured 4 models of carpet furniture relying on God and great perseverance, I gave the dimensions and size of carpet furniture to Ravar masters, the carpet weaving lasted awhile, simultaneously I made furniture with textile coverage, slowly the number of carpet weavers increased and they supplied my need and so I just manufactured furniture with handmade coverage.

From Nouhi family, just I was involved in making furniture and my other brothers are working in the field of sale or manufacturing door, decoration and fencing.

Among your family members, is anybody else working in this field? Please explain comprehensively.

We were six brothers that my grand brother late Haj Mehdi Nouhi who was resident in Iraq for several years and he worked as confectioner and after several years when he came back Iran, before was with guidance of me and other friends established a shop in Shariati St., that brought wooden products, furniture, bed set and sofas from Tehran and sold them and now his children Mohammad and Hossein are working in the same place under the name of Honar Furniture Shop.

My other brother after me is Mr. Haj Ahmad Nouhi who was retired employee of telecommunications in Tehran and he was working in selling decoration and bed set in Vahidieh St. and he came back Kerman during his retirement and is selling bed set and wooden appliances in Eghbal St. in a shop called Steel Mobl Shop and also his son Mr. Mohsen Nouhi has a furniture shop in Hafez St. called Mobl Iran.

My other brother, Mr. Mohammad Nouhi who manufactured door and window and decoration and then he sold furniture in the same place and his sons Saeid and Masoud began the occupation of selling furniture, in this way that brought furniture, bed set and so on from Tehran and other cities and sold furniture in Choobineh furniture shop.

My other brother, Mr. Hamid Nouhi was working in Bahmaniar St. in manufacturing door and decoration and then began selling furniture and bed set in the same place.

My other brother, late Majid Nouhi who was the smallest child unfortunately passed away very soon, during his living he worked in manufacturing wooden decoration, door and fencing and his sons Mohsen and Farzad are selling furniture and bed set and so on in a shop located in Eghbal St. under the name of Nouhi furniture shop.

I am the second son of late Mr. Mohammad Hossein Nouhi and from the beginning, I began carpentry in all fields and I manufactured carpet furniture and I was assistant of my father and I couldn’t go to school, at this time late Mr. Mahboob began manufacturing furniture. God rest his soul.

None of my brothers have been in the field of manufacturing furniture.

Mr. Mahmoud Nouhi , among your brothers anybody manufactured carpet furniture or had an activity in this field?

No, as I said my brothers worked in the field of manufacturing door, decoration, fencing and bed set and they did not work in the field of furniture manufacturing. I didn’t see them making furniture.

Do any of your children continue your job?

Yes, I have a child named Alireza Nouhi who had a great interest and thirst for carpentry and manufacturing carpet furniture from his childhood and has no tendency to school and he left school in 4th grade of elementary school and began making sport appliances, rod and swimming board and started designing on the wood and making furniture and invent new designs and with day and night effort and relying on God and youth power began manufacturing and innovating carpet furniture in various models, so that since his youth after long hours of working with carpentry tools, invented new and wonderful designs and created a great evolution in carpet furniture industry.

I have done my best so that he fully learnt turnery when he was 9 years old and I transferred him the knowledge of cutting trees, cutting wood, woodcarving, coloring, covering and any job related to manufacturing furniture that I did concerning his interest and since 16-17 years old, he both did exercises and designed furniture and he worked before famous masters and artists and he didn’t received any financial support from me or any other person and he provided the means he needed with his own wage and he is successful.

The changes he created in carpet furniture and innovation of various models in this industry causes this art to be welcomed in other provinces other than Kerman and even abroad, so that many customers from various countries such as Canada, France, Turkey and countries of Persian Gulf margin became applicant of this noble art.

He manages central workshop and fair located in Shahid Rajaei Street in front of my shop called Salatin Carpet that there are more than 170 models of carpet furniture he has designed.

God obliged me that my son Alireza don’t let my labors to wasted and he registered the honor of my family which has more than 170 years antiquity to stay alive and perdurable under the name of Salatin Kariman that everybody knows that which city and which person has been founder of this seat and furniture with carpet coverage.     

interview with Tanavaran sport cultural weekly

journal, 14th year, No. 397,monday, 25 February 2019