Antique Persian Rugs
Antique Persian Rugs Information
Not only are antique Persian rugs, more commonly known as oriental rugs, functional, they are also part of the art and culture of the Persian countries.
The popularity of Persian rugs is a testament to just how strong the Persian culture in carpet weaving is in this country. The ability to weave carpet (and rugs) dates back to ancient Persia. Their popularity is a testament to how well a antique Persian carpets or antique Persian rugs blend and accent in todays interior design. These antique rugs or oriental rugs can be used as an area rug or to cover the entire room or even as a wall hanging.
There are three classifications of fine Persian Rugs or oriental rugs:
Farsh – is for any size measuring greater than size feet by four feet
Qa-licheh – Persian rugs that measure smaller than six feet by four feet
Kilim – also known as Nomadic rugs. Zilu (rough carpet) is also a Kilim.
As to the materials used to weave Persian rugs, wool is the most common. Common wools for rugs and carpets are Manchester, Kork and even Camel wool. For those rugs made in larger workshops, often cotton is used as the bottom or foundation of the rugs and carpet.
Silk has been used in Persian rugs and carpets from as far back as the 16th century. Although the costs of silk rugs and carpets is so high today that most antique Persian rugs made from silk are used as wall displays and not carpet. Silk does not possess the strength and wearability of silk.
The process of weaving a hand knotted Persian rug or oriental rug with their intricate designs may take a few months up to several years to complete (depending on the size of the rug and complexity of the pattern). If you consider how many square inches there are in a Persian rug and then consider that the number of knots per square inch can go as high as 559 per square inch, it will give you some idea of the amount of tedious work involved. In a single square foot of carpet at 500 knots per square inch, there are 72,000 knots.
The weaving of pile rugs is a difficult and tedious process which, depending on the quality and size of the rug, may take anywhere from a few months to several years to complete.
There were differently types of looms used in the making of antique Persian rugs. Although the looms all perform the same function there are some differences. There are two basic types of looms used, vertical and horizontal. The horizontal is the simpler of the two and can be easily taken apart and transported. This type of loom is what was originally used by nomadic people in the beginning. Rugs made from a horizontal loom are usually fairly small and the quality is certainly inferior to the quality available from vertical or professional looms.
For the person making the oriental rug carpet, vertical looms are more comfortable to use and there is no restriction on the length or width you can make with a vertical loom like there is on a horizontal loom.
One of the general categories of Persian rugs and Persian carpets is the Tabriz rug. The Tabriz rugs come from the actual city of Tabriz located in the Northwest part of Iran. Tabriz makes many different types and varieties of Persian rugs and is one of the oldest places making Tabriz Persian rugs. It is not difficult to locate antique Tabriz rugs or as some people refer to them, Persian Tabriz rugs. As in all other types of Persian rugs the quality varies depending on the number of hand knots made per inch and the type of material used in the making of the rugs. Silk is used for the making of the highest quality rugs.
Tabriz rugs come is lots of different designs too. From figures and landscapes to the newest three dimensional designs.
Today you can see antique Persian rugs, oriental rugs and Persian carpet in many museums. The rarity of the items along with their cost has driven more and more of them to being museum pieces. You may find an antique Persian rug that fits your budget but then again, you may be able to find a Persian rug that is a very good replica, using the same pattern and manufactured using more modern methods and end up paying a lot less money for a product that will last longer too. But for shear beauty nothing beats authentic antique Persian rugs.
