Buy Persian rugs online
Traditionally area rugs from Persia are known for their uncomparable beauty, subtlety and durability. They are without doubt the most prestiguous of all hand knotted area rugs. Due to their long-established and eclectic designs these timeless classics are exceptional complements that add comfort, mystery and glamour to every home. Of course, you probably already heard some of this, because you know people raving about their Persian rug, telling you how much they love it, how special and how valuable these rugs are. And they are right ...
What is so great about Persian rugs?
Simply speaking, they are top of all rugs in terms of quality, versatility, complexity and sustainability. They are also genuine pieces of art. Weavers from Persia have been creating masterful rugs in all varieties of colour, size and shape for more than 2500 years, setting the bar very high for what makes a rug Persian. Forwarding their knowlegde from generation to generation their craftmanship has risen to perfection, only adopting new techniques, if it benefits the process of crafting and only, if it is in no conflict with the traditions. This means these rugs are still made only with all-natural wools and silk as well as plant-based and mineral dyes. And even with all the modern technologies around, every single rug starts with two hands tying a knot. This is why collectors, amateur enthusiasts and antiquities experts alike revere these rugs as the finest of them all.
What distinguishes an area rug as authentically Persian?
They are above all a testimony to the mastery and creativity of the weavers from different regions of Persia. The crafting of a rug varies based on the area it's made in, if it is a city or tribal grounds. Each rug represents the heritage and the ancient traditions of the weavers. Especially the geometric figures, symbolic motifs and repeating patterns all have specific meanings, being it from imitating life, representing a certain ideal, telling a story, paying a tribute or even to protect the rugowners from evil and misfortune. Every single rug is made to suit individual preferences, reasons and occasions. The immensly rich design repertoire of those masterweavers has inspired and influenced designers, architects and artists throughout all eras and all around the globe.
The many types of Persian Rugs
Generally, there are three main classes of authentic hand-knotted rugs from Persia. City rugs, village rugs and tribal/nomadic rugs. The difference between these classes is, that city rugs are woven in organized workshops by weavers following a design blueprint. Usually designer and weaver are two different people. Village rugs are woven in homes or tents and also following a design blueprint, which is slughtly more loose than those oft he city rugs. Designer and weaver often are the same person. Tribal rugs are woven in homes or tents without a real blueprint. Their design is based on ideas or the imagination in the head of the designer, who usually is also the weaver. Tribal rugs come with way more loose designs, which at the same time often appear more fluid, though of course they are not so perfectly symmetrical as the city rugs or village rugs are. But it is especially those imperfections of tribal rugs that enthusiasts and fans love so much. Witihin these three classes there are several categories, mostly named after the city, village or tribe, in which or by whom the rug was made.
- Isfahan: With their extravagance and lucious designs, Isfahan rugs are considered by a lot of specialists to be the indisputably No.1. The royal city of Isfahan has been the center of Persian artistry since the 16th century and the weavers have proven again and again to be on top of the art.
- Nain: Throughout the centuries the city of Nain has gained a reputation for producing oustanding hand made rugs with a higher percentage of silk as well as a more consistent palette of colours. During the 20th century masterweaver F. Habibian created such beautiful masterpieces, that it literally redifined the image of Nain rugs.
- Tabriz: Rugs from this city in northern Iran are the most diverse in types, designs and sizes. Historically one of the oldest rug manufacturing areas, weavers in Tabriz have always improved their skills and pushed the limits of artistic freedom.
- Qum: Predominantly made of silk, enthusiasts and experts around the world are in total agreement, that the material composition of rugs from the city of Qum are among the finest and of highest quality. The same enthusiats and experts though are also still in disagreement about the question, if the city and therefore rugs are spelled Qum, Qom, Kum, Com, Gom, Ghum or Ghom. So don’t be confused, these words all stand for the same provenience.
- Keshan: Located at the historic caravan route, Keshan is one of the oldest and most lively carpet regions. The robust and harmoniously ornamented wool carpets from Keshan are highly popular due to their durability.
- Bidjar: These carpets are knotted by Kurds in northwest Iran using a special technique in which the threads are are moist and pressed together more tightly with a heavy iron comb. Due to this
Knot density and what it means
The following table shows the different grades of how fine a hand-knotted rug is. The grades "Very Fine" and "Exeptionally Fine" are rather rare, as such a density requires a lot of experience, patience and an extremely high level of skill. Although the grades do not specify a certain level of quality, it is a very good indicator of the complexity and rarity of a rug. For example, the knotting of a very fine Persian rug may require more than a year's handwork. Also, very detailed ornaments and patterns can only be produced with a high density of knots.
| Knots per square meter (Persian rugs in bold) | |
|---|---|
| Very Coarse | 40,000 - 80,000 |
| Coarse | 80,000 - 120,000 |
| Average | 120,000 - 240,000 |
| Somewhat Fine | 240,000 - 360,000 |
| Fine | 360,000 - 500,000 |
| Very Fine | 500,000 - 1,000,000 |
| Extraordinarily Fine | 1,100,000 or higher |
Persian rugs are rare and valuable goods
Traditional Persian carpets will become much more expensive over a longer period of time, because less and less young people want to learn the elaborate and time-consuming handicraft. There is still a relatively large stock, which was built up over the last decades which is now noticeably declining due to increased demand.
Always keep in mind, that buying a Persian rug can be one of the best decisions you make throughout your life, because nothing else turns a room into a home like a Persian rug.
