Persian rugs usually feature a wide range of motifs and patterns in a rainbow of colors. What’s interesting is that these motifs, patterns, and colors are not just chosen randomly. Weavers chose every feature with great care in order to narrate their unique story. Every element in each rug has a special meaning.
Understanding the meaning behind Persian rug colors will help you to better understand the story being narrated through your Persian rug.
Green
Green has always been associated with prosperity, growth and health. In Persian rugs, green is used to represent new opportunities, fresh growth, lush forests, and renewal. Green is also considered to be a divine color because it is associated with Prophet Mohammed. It is for this reason that it is not used as much in everyday Persian rugs.
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Red
Red is an energizing color. It evokes strong feelings of passion, joy, courage, and vitality. Weavers use this color to highlight certain elements within their patterns and to grab attention and to express excitement and happiness.
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Gold
Gold has traditionally been a symbol of wealth, prestige, and power. Royals and emperors have always favored this color not just in what they wore but also in their home décor and furnishings. Because of this traditional association with royalty and wealth, gold was mostly used in Persian rugs that were custom made for prominent or royal families.
Yellow
Yellow is representative of the sun and is the color of unbridled joy, radiance, and happiness. Weavers used yellow in their designs to express their joy of life and living and to express their happiness.
Brown
Brown stands for the earth and soil. It is used in rugs to represent the Earth. It is also the color of fertility which is not surprising because everything ultimately grows from the soil.
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Blue
Blue represents a range of emotions including tranquility, honesty, strength and trust. It is used in Persian rugs to evoke inner calm, peace and joy. It is also used to indicate honesty, trust, and loyalty.
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White
White is the universally accepted color for innocence, peace, and cleanliness. When used in Persian rugs, it indicates exactly these qualities. Weavers used it to demonstrate their selflessness and pure heart.
Black
Black is used very sparingly in Persian rugs because of its powerful negative connotations. Most people connect black with death, destruction, and feelings of darkness. It is the color of mourning and weavers did not want to focus on this negativity.
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Orange
Orange is used to represent excitement, adventure, and fire. It is a positive color and also adds a light-hearted, fun touch to the patterns in a Persian rug without overshadowing the other colors.
Weavers gave great thought to the colors they wanted to use in their rugs in order to convey their feelings. They then dyed the wool using the leaves, stems, roots, and flowers of various plants that were inherent in their particular area. The exact color that they obtained depended on the plants and the plant parts that they used.
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I appreciate your knowledge and teaching about Persian carpets. I would love to take a course. Do you offer them?