Persian Rugs

Antique Rugs, Hand Knotted Rugs, Handmade Rugs, More...

Persian rugs are an essential element of Persian culture and are considered the most distinguished of Persian arts. Although there are examples of Persian carpets that date back to the Safavid dynasty during the 16th century, evidence in painted depictions indicate that the art of carpet weaving dates back to as early as the Bronze Age. Because of the organic materials used in Persian rugs, more ancient examples have decayed over the centuries, leaving at most small fragments that are of little use to archeologists. However, one exception is a beautifully preserved example found in the frozen Pazyryk Valley in 1949. Radiocarbon dating indicated that the carpet dated back to approximately 300 BC. The advanced techniques used in the weaving of this carpet, including the use of 36 knots, all symmetrical, per square centimeter, indicate that this carpet is the result of a long history, believed to be at least 1000 years, possibly more, of evolution and developments in the art form.

The most common material used in the making of Persian rugs is wool, due to both its durability and its affordability. Cotton is sometimes used as the foundation material, particularly in workshop and city rugs. There have been antique rugs found dating back to the 16th century that are constructed of silk, but due to the fragility and expense of the material, these were much more uncommon and tended to be employed as wall hangings rather than floor coverings.

There is a lot of variety among the Persian handmade rugs that have survived from the 16th and 17th centuries. There are a number of common motifs that can be found, however. Some of these include medallions, scrolling groups of vines, cloud bands, palmettes, arabesques, and interlocked geometric segments. Figural designs also tend to be fairly popular within the Iranian market, although it is unusual to see such designs in rugs that are sold in the West.

The production of Persian rugs carpets has mostly been mechanized in current times, but there are still weavers who create carpets using the traditional hand-knotting methods. These hand-woven carpets generally cost more than the machine-woven variety, but play an important role in maintaining a long-standing and important art form.

Antique Persian Rugs