Although there are numerous variations of the floral medallion layout, all of them come under four basic categories:
Geometric Medallion Pattern Rugs With Plain Designs
In this category, the principle medallion is featured as a clearly defined central motif which is surrounded by lesser or a greater area of plain ground. The corners of the plain ground usually have busy triangular design elements. The central medallion, plain ground and triangular corners are all framed by a distinct border. While some rug styles represent this category more loosely, other types of rugs have a fixed representation of this style.
Geometric Medallion Design Rugs With All Over Background Designs
The medallion design rugs in this category are mostly village rugs. They feature one very prominent geometric medallion in the center.
The ground surrounding the central medallion is covered with several small motifs which could be in a regular or irregular pattern. The fine details of the central medallion and the surrounding designs make for a visually busy but very interesting looking rug.
Rugs With Geometric Repeating Central Medallion Designs
In these medallion carpets, the central design motif is woven in as a repeating rug pattern or as an alternating pattern. This pattern is typical of the medallion design rugs from the Kurdish areas and the Caucasian areas around the Caspian Sea and is also often produced by the tribal rug weavers of Shiraz, Qashqai rugs and Senneh carpets.