Tag: Persian rugs

Don’t Have A Persian Rug in Every Single Room…Well What Are You Waiting For?!

Posted on by D F

So I’ve got this Persian friend whose sole purpose in life is to convince everyone she knows to buy Persian rugs.  Not only are Persian rugs necessary household items, but they should also be in every single room in every home.  True story, I learned.

I’ll never forget the look on my friend’s face when she first stepped onto my bedroom rug. It was, and I’m sorry to say, Ikea-ed to death.  Her face was a combination of pain, suffering, and sheer embarrassment.  The following day, she brought me to her house where I had my first foot-to-Persian rug experience, and I have to say, my toes were forever changed.   The beautiful hand knotted rug featured stunning colors and beautiful floral motifs.  The next day, I threw out my polyester Ikea rug in exchange for a Persian rug.  That very next morning, I woke up to find that I had somehow fallen asleep on my exquisite new rug, back-free pain and all.

Five and a half years later I have found myself advocating for Persian rugs, because frankly, nothing ties a room together better than a Persian rug, especially if you have got a beautiful Persian friend happily smiling beside you.

The Dirty Persian Rug Test

Posted on by D F

Feel like your Oriental rugs or Persian rugs are dirty? Having a hard time remembering what color it was when you first bought it? Chances are, it’s filthy, either that, or you’re losing your mind. Most hand knotted Oriental or Persian rugs require a yearly cleaning, depending on a couple of factors. Performing the dirty Persian rug test is one way to tell.

Try one of the following methods to see if your rug needs a cleaning:

  1. Moisten a white towel and gently rub back and forth; if the towel is soiled, it’s time for a cleaning!
  2. Pick up the corner of your rug and give it a swift kick; if a little cloud of dust emerges, it’s time for a cleaning!
  3. Lift up a corner of your rug so that the backside is facing you; fold the corner down and over so you can get a good look of the crevices your vacuum can’t reach. If you see debris, dust, or fibers, it’s time for a cleaning!

In terms of self-cleaning, the process is a bit more complicated. If your task is to clean a large area rug, stop and call a professional. The smaller the rug, the easier it is to clean, and the less likely you’ll be to ruin the entire rug. Now cleaning a rug is similar to washing your hair. But before you start anything, test a small patch to check for color runs! Firstly, remove any debris with a quick vacuum job, lather your rug with shampoo and water, rinse thoroughly with water, squeeze excess water out, and lay flat to dry.

To maintain a clean rug, avoid wearing shoes inside the house or try vacuuming once a month to get rid of dust and fibers. Stick with these few tips and you’ll be more likely to see your rug’s true colors.

The Three Periods of Persian Rugs

Posted on by D F

Persian Rugs are so much more than a comfy piece of furniture to rub your toes in. It is a vital part of the Persian culture and known more as an art piece than as a bit of furniture. Their history, which some interpret dates back to 500 B.C.E, can be divided into three periods of Persian rugs over the course of time.

The Zoroasterian Period

Found in a grace of a Scythian prince, the Pazyryk carpet was discovered during an archaeological excavation in the Pazyryk Valley of Siberia in 1949. This is the earliest known example of Persian rugs, although most archaeological discovereies from this era are usually no more than a few remaining worn out bits of fabric.

The Islamic Period

Starting in the 8th century C.E., the Azarbaijan Province in Iran became the most powerful carpet weaving area in the world. During the reigns of the Seljuq and Iilkhanate dynasties, carpet weaving expanded and flourished to such a poresitigious degree that a mosque in northwestern Iran even chose to have itself covered in Persian rugs.

The Modern Period

Today, modern Persian carpet production has been mostly mechanized, although hand woven carpets are still produced and available from all around the world. In fact, Iran exported over $500 million worth of hand woven carpets annually since 2002 (although many other countries produce replicas available for cheaper costs).

The Rug Knot Breakdown: Part I

Posted on by D F

Persian rugs, oriental rugs, hand knotted rugs, Persian carpets, symmetrical Turkish knot, asymmetrical Persian knot, Ghiordes knot, Turkish knots,

If it’s not our Persian rugs, it’s our oriental rugs that we love—or both. Nothing, and I mean, nothing, ties a room together better than a Persian or oriental rug. The intricate motifs, designs and patterns of hand knotted rugs are practically a map of the long history of Persian rugs, dating as far back as the 16th century. The craft of Persian carpets and oriental rugs has such a deep-rooted history that each weave, loop and rug knot is carefully tended down to the last thread.

There are two basic knots that are used in most Persian or oriental rugs: the symmetrical Turkish knot and the asymmetrical Persian knot. This week, we’ll be discussing the symmetrical Turkish knot.

The origin of the symmetrical Turkish knot dates from 1895-1900 and is also known as the Ghiordes knot that is used in Turkey, East Turkmenistan, the Caucasus, and some Turkish and Kurdish areas of Iran. Turkish knots are made when yarn is passed between two adjacent warps, returned back under one, wrapped around both forming a collar, and then finally pulled through the center so that both ends emerge between the warps producing an uneven pile effect. Here’s a handy diagram that might make it easier to understand this knotting process.

The Rug Knot Breakdown: Part II

Posted on by D F

Persian rugs and oriental rug history and one of the most basic knots that are used in Persian or oriental rugs, the Turkish knot, or the Ghiordes knot that originates from Turkey, East Turkmenistan, the Caucasus and other Turkish and Kurdish areas of Iran. This week, we’ll be discussing the only most basic rug knot that’s seen in Persian and oriental rugs: The Persian Knot.

The Persian knot, also known as the Senneh knot, the double knot and the asymmetrical knot is used for finer rugs is used principally in Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Egypt. The Persian knot is wrapped around only one warp, as opposed to the Turkish knot that is wrapped around two adjacent warps, then passed behind the adjacent warp so that a single warp divides the two ends. It can be open on either the left or right side, thus leading to its brother name “the asymmetrical knot”.

Other less commonly used and seen hand knotted rugs have knots include that the Jufti knot and the Spanish knot. The Jufti knot is tied around four warps strands instead of two and reduces the time it takes to weave a rug. The Spanish knot is looped around single alternate warps so that the ends are brought out on either the left or right side.

The Louvre Museum

Posted on by D F

My family, since before I can remember, has a long standing history of collecting antique Persian and oriental rugs. The care and time spent creating and weaving a hand knotted rug represents not only a rich history, but also beauty as well. On a recent trip to Paris, France, I visited the Louvre Museum that houses a Persian rug from the 16th century. The gift was given in 1914 buy Joanny Peytel and is titled “Carpet with animals”. The small rug is made entirely of silk and is said to have come from Kashan, Iran. This Persian rug features a rare indigo blue color and various pictures of animals frolicking on a field.

It was by luck that I came across this particular Persian rug while on holiday. The accentuated beauty, interesting motifs and designs, and rich colors of a rug from so many years ago before my eyes made me love Persian rugs even more. Now, nearly four centuries later, I was able to witness evidence that expert weavers knew what they were really doing since they continue to be in such good condition even today for myself. I’ve always purchased my Persian rugs from 1800GetARug.com because of their great prices and authenticity. With their help, I can bring what I love the most into my own home.

Noisy Neighbors? Tell ‘Em To Get a Rug

Posted on by D F

My upstairs noisy neighbors had always been incredibly loud. Unnaturally noisy, even — I often wondered what exactly they’re doing up there. My theory is a heavy rotation of hoedown lessons and mini-relay races, but my boyfriend is pretty sure they just didn’t have any rugs on their floors, and that if I didn’t have any, my downstairs neighbors would probably be complaining about me — and my stilettos — too.

I decided to take matter into my own hands. Well, sort of. At first I thought about writing an anonymous note, but since I live alone they’d probably figure out pretty quickly who wrote, “Either get some rugs or move the Stomp practices elsewhere.” I also considered getting a hold of their e-mail addresses and signing them up for the 1-800 Get a Rug newsletter, but I figured they’d assume it was spam and delete it without reading.

Finally I decided to just buy a large area rug myself and play it off like I was getting rid of it. 1-800 Get a Rug’s area rugs are inexpensive enough that it was worth the investment if it meant quiet. Plus I had 10 days to return it if my plan backfired. I popped up to the neighbors’ and told them I had a nice big oriental rug I didn’t want anymore, and they said they’d be happy to take it off my hands. It’s been blissfully quiet ever since.

Oriental Rugs and Persian Rugs: What’s the Difference?

Posted on by D F

If you’re shopping for area rugs, you probably have the type of rug you want in mind, but you don’t know what it’s called. Often times, rugs get grouped under the “oriental rugs” category, but they have slight distinctions that make them Persian rugs. Here is a little further information on the differences between oriental and Persian rugs.

First off, the term “oriental rugs” actually refers to an overarching category. In the Oriental rug category you can find the subcategories like Persian rugs, Kashmir rugs, War and Azerbaijani rugs, to name a few.

Persian rugs are typically easy to identify because of their motifs used in most designs. There is usually an outer border, a thicker inner border, and a thinner inner border. In the center, there is typically a medallion in the center and the corners of the inner design have some sort of embellishment. All in all, Persian rugs are highly decorative, and often times are colored with rich reds, blues, and golds.

No matter what type of rug is your favorite though, having a one of a kind rug in your home is something that you will cherish for generations.

Don’t Let Persian Rugs Control YOUR Life!

Posted on by D F

My dad loves Persian rugs. We have them all throughout our house. He went on this two year Persian rugs binge – I know, I know, some dads go on drinking binges, some go on gambling binges, but I swear, my dad’s Persian rugs binge was just as detrimental to his health.

It started out small, you know, like  5 X 8’s mostly. He figured out that because silk is the most expensive, it must be the best. I enjoyed rubbing the rugs one way and watching how the colors changed when I rubbed them the other way. He bought a couple this way.

Then he started to get bigger Persian rugs. 13 x 15 room fillers. All silk. Sure they were gorgeous, but the lack of restraint he demonstrated was pretty hard on all of us. And pretty soon we had traveled to Argentina for a rare antique rug. It was one of the many wool hand knotted rugs out there, but the carnations on it were silken. And because it had lain in the home of an Argentine king for 80 years and a path was tread on a section of it, I was able to step in and save my dad some money. It was still thousands of dollars.

Now he’s better, and although I can’t say I don’t enjoy the beautiful rugs that adorn our walls and floors, he’s still recovering from all the rugs debt he built over those two years.

The Origins of Persian Rugs

Posted on by D F

Persian rugs origins have been around for a long time, nearly 2500 years. The oldest surviving carpet in the world is from the 5th century BC and is called the Pazyryk Carpet (above). Found in the grave of a Scythian prince from the Achaemenid period,  this carpet is a phenomenal example of Persian rugs, and it is especially interesting that it has withstood time so well since silk and wool  decay eventually.

The Achaemenid period was a time of magnificent carpet weaving. Cyrus the Great was the ruler of the court and Persia was allianced with Alexander the Great. The empire was the largest of Ancient times and is noted in history for being the foe of the Greeks; for freeing the Jews from slavery in Babylon; for having official languages throughout their territories; and for having magnificent hand knotted rugs.

The empire fell, but the making of hand knotted rugs never stopped. In the 6th century, the Persian carpets were globally famed for being the best. A carpet in the imperial hall of Khorsow I was 450 feet long and 90 feet wide. It depicted a formal garden. A hundred years later, the Sasanian capital Tuspawn (modern Iraq) fell and the Arab invaders cut the rug into fragmented rugs for booty.