Few items capture the charm and mystique of the Orient better than a Persian rug, just like how few things can rival it in craftsmanship. Each Persian rug is painstakingly made by hand, and everything from the fibers to the dyes used is made from organic materials. Striking enough by itself, a single Persian rug makes for a beautiful complement to virtually any kind of dcor.
Persian rugs have been made in their namesake region (now Iran) as part of a cultural heritage. The oldest known piece – the Pazyryk carpet – is dated to have come from half a millennium BCE, though Chinese writings only begin documenting the craft at around 200 CE. The Pazyryk carpet had 232 knots per square inch, which is about average by modern standards.
Business boomed for the next millennium and, by the 16th century, much change had happened in the preferences of carpet buyers in the region. Depictions on carpets grew fewer and rarer, with more buyers preferring to get abstract and geometric patterns instead. The best known Persian carpet, the classical style Ardabil, came from this period and featured a radial arabesque design and a poetic inscription.
The layout and design of a Persian can be different depending on what is made. These patterns will be on one-side, in the central of the rug, or all over. These designs are on almost all Persian rugs that you will find. These designs may mean different things to different people, it just depends on who you ask on what they mean.
As stated above a true Persian is woven by hand, and it is a very long process. Imagine a rug that is huge can take years to make. The base of a Persian is made up of wefts that will pass through a warp to form the bottom of the rug. Than lose knots of thread will be passed through and attached to warps that are adjacent. This is how the elaborate designs appear on the rugs. These rugs now have up to 550 knots per every square inch.
These rugs are a huge and popular industry. Just in 2008 alone it is said that $420 million of these rugs were exported to other countries. There are thought to be around 1.2 million people in Iran who work as weavers of these Persian rugs.
At present, the old industry of making Persian rugs is still a booming business. $420 million worth of carpets were exported in 2008 alone, amounting to 1% of the country’s overall exports. About 1.2 million weavers in Iran alone are thought to be actively producing new carpets, so there shouldn’t be any risk of running out soon.
A Persian rug is a classic look that can pretty much fit into any decor, adding a touch of elegance and a wonderful look to your home. These rugs have been around for years and will be for years more, add one into your home today.
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