Identifying and classification of Iranian rug motifs are the most important ways to preserve, protect and restore them. These especially about the rugs that are mentally-woven and lack texture maps are more important
The present article is a kind of field and historical research accomplished based on available historical and imagery sources aiming at clarifying the changes that have been taken place in patterns and designs of mentally-woven Vist carpet and its patterns and motifs categorization in recent century. In addition to the historical investigation based on written and unwritten sources, a field study was also conducted in Vist village and Turkish-speaking and Lori-speaking villages around Vist, to find out old carpets, take their picture and interview with the old and famous people in Khansar, Golpayegan and Isfahan market and finally by comparing the information and pictures, the changes in patterns and designs of mentally-woven Vist carpet were determined. Then, based on the obtained results, an attempt has been made to categorize and classify patterns and designs of this mentally-woven carpet. The results indicated that the patterns and designs of Vist carpet can be classified with regard to three perspectives which are forms and motif models; visual and physical nature of motifs as well as application of these motifs in the body or in the borders into three categories of plants, animals and forms or models. The plant category can be divided into single flowers, trees and flower-vases, the animal category into two subcategories of birds and animals and the last category to three subcategories of multi-angles including three, four, five, six and seven angles and forms consisting of hooks and Latches, serrated, joints, bands, panes and small sprays and branches along with the imported forms. Borders in Vist carpet can be divided into three types of two doshkumi and first and second type Garous. All these three borders have been originated from Harati structure. Six main colors in two types of dark and light in Vist carpet have been used which include pink, red, dark blue, white and brown. There are maximally seven colors which are usually used in this carpet. In borders between one and five, and in the background between five and ten motifs are used and the total number of motifs in the mentally-woven carpet does not exceed fourteen.