GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT RUGS                         GO BACK                   CATEGORY Handmade rugs are produced in different settings referred to as category. Handmade rugs are generally woven in the settings of nomadic, village, workshop and master workshop. AGE The age attribute specifies how old a rug is. There are three major timelines: antique, semi-antique and contemporary. Sometimes the date of creation is woven into the rug. Antique   Rugs over 60 years old are considered antique, although not all old rugs are determined as precious antiques. Semi-antique Rugs between 25 to 60 years old are considered semi-antique. Contemporary Rugs less than 25 years old are considered contemporary. SIZE When talking about sizes of handmade rugs, we also need to discuss their shape. Handmade rugs are made in different sizes and shapes. Since most handmade rugs are rectangular, only this shape rug has been assigned standard sizes. Other shapes include runner, round, oval, square, and some odd shapes. We will discuss each shape and their dimensions in detail; however, as a general rule choosing the correct size rug depends on the dimensions of the room or space you are trying to cover. Handmade rugs are not intended to cover the entire floor. Because handmade rugs are a work of art, similar to paintings, they need a frame to enhance their beauty. This frame is created by allowing at least one to two feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of open space between the rug and the surrounding walls. KNOT There are different methods by which knots are created. The two predominant types of knots are asymmetrical and symmetrical. There are other kinds of knots as well such as jufti and Tibetan. However, they are not as frequently used. CONDITION The first important point to remember about the effect of condition on price is that condition is relative to age. A semi-antique or antique rug is not expected to be in the same condition as a contemporary rug in order for it to be considered a rug in good condition. The second point is that the value of some rugs decreases as their pile wears, but the value of some does not decrease and sometimes even increases. Some rugs simply look more attractive when they have no pile wear, and others look more attractive when they do. For example, certain workshop rugs such as Esfahan rugs which their value lies within their perfection, look better with no or little pile wear; however, the value of Bakhtiari rugs that are of village or nomadic nature can even increase as they become worn. It is important to mention that worn does not necessarily mean old. A new rug placed in a high traffic area could be as worn as an older rug placed in low traffic area. Finally, if rugs are damaged, their value can decrease. This is more of a factor in newer rug . COLOR In creating a work of art, the two most important elements are design and color. We could even say that color is more important than design because it is by color contrast that design is created, whether that work of art is a black-and-white portrait or a colorful handmade rug. In handmade rugs, colorful motifs are woven into the rug against the solid color in the background and the border, creating even more incredible color contrast. All handmade rugs are identified by their background color and border color. Colors are also an important factor in determining the origin of handmade rugs. Different rug producing areas use different combinations of colors and different types of dyes. Colors are chosen according to the best dyes available in the environment whether natural or synthetic, and even sometimes according to their symbolic values (traditional and religious meanings) LAYOUT Layout is the overall arrangement of motifs or objects woven into a rug. Motif is any single form or interrelated group of forms which make up part of the overall design. All rugs can be divided into three major layouts of all-over, medallion, or one-sided. PATTERN Pattern is one of the most helpful elements in narrowing down rug selection, especially after size and color. It is also a helpful element in finding the style and make of a rug. We could define pattern as the way lines are used to form shapes on a rug. In the rug industry, pattern is divided into the three categories of curvilinear, geometric, and pictorial. The first two refer to rugs with conventional motifs that are woven with curving lines (curvilinear) or straight lines (geometric). The third (a much smaller group) refers to rugs which portray people and/or animals. By dividing rugs into these three broad categories, we are able to eliminate what we don't want quickly and find what we do want a lot faster and easier when buying a rug. It is important to mention that these categories are not necessarily three distinct categories and sometimes overlap. Rugs are always categorized by their most dominant characteristics; therefore, even though all pictorial rugs are either curvilinear or geometric, they are not categorized under these two patterns because their dominant characteristic is their representation of people and/or animals. Also, we might even find a rug that consists of both curving and straight lines; we categorize such a rug according to the most dominant type of lines used in creating its design. STYLE Style could be defined as the way different motifs, colors and patterns give character to a rug. In this section, we will discuss the most important styles of rugs that have existed or still do exist in various parts of the world. Rug styles of the world include Persian, Chinese, Turkoman, Caucasian, European, Anatolian, Tibetan, Indian, Baluchi, North African, Native American, and East Turkestan. In addition, many of these styles have sub-styles; for example, Tabriz is a sub-style of Persian style. Many styles or sub-styles are made in their place of origin as well as in other countries or areas. For example, a Tabriz style rug may be made in Tabriz; it could also be made in India. MAKE Make is the actual location where a rug is produced. A rug produced in India may be Persian style and could be sold under the name of its style. At the same time, a rug could be produced in the same exact place where its style first originated. Therefore, sometimes the style and the make have the same name, and sometimes they have different names. When buying a handmade rug, one needs to know not only the name of its style, but also its make because make could be a factor in the value of the rug. In this section we will discuss the countries and areas where rugs are currently produced or have been produced in the past. These places include Iran, India, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia, Morocco/Algeria/Tunisia, Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan, Tibet/Nepal, Romania/Bulgaria/Albania, Egypt, France, North America, Ireland, and Spain. PILE Pile refers to the material (fiber) used for weaving rugs. Only natural fibers are used in handmade rugs. The main pile materials are wool, silk and cotton. Sometimes, goat and camel hair are also used by nomadic and village weavers. Wool Wool is the most frequently used pile material in handmade rugs because it is soft, durable, easy to work with and not too expensive. This combination of characteristics is not found in other natural fibers. Wool comes from the coat of sheep. Fibers from animals such as goat or camel are considered hair, and even though the use of some hair in rugs adds shine, their extensive use is undesirable because they do not dye well. Moderately coarse wool is more durable than fine wool, and the sheep producing this kind of wool can usually be found in the Middle East. In general, wool from sheep grazing at high altitudes is superior, and very high quality wool can be found at high altitudes of the Caucasian mountains and mountainous areas of Iran. Wool from China, Australia and New Zealand is also very good. Natural wool comes in colors of white, brown, fawn, yellow and gray, which are sometimes used directly without going through a dyeing process. Silk Silk is an expensive fiber, and therefore, it is less frequently used in handmade rugs. Silk comes from the cocoon of silkworms, which thrive on mulberry leaves. Silk originally came from China and it was then cultivated in countries such as Iran, Turkey, India and some countries of the ex-Soviet Union. The best quality silk still comes from China and an area of Iran in the south shores of the Caspian Sea. Silk has the two qualities of fineness and strength, hardly found in other natural fibers. Silk can be used alone or in combination with wool. Cotton Cotton is used primarily in the foundation of rugs. However, some weaving groups such as Turkomans also use cotton for weaving small white details into the rug in order to create contrast. WEAVE Weave refers to the technique used in weaving handmade rugs. There are two major weaving techniques: pile weave and flat weave. Pile Weave Pile weave or knotted weave refers to the method of weaving used in most rugs. In this technique the rug is woven by creation of knots. A short piece of yarn is tied around two neighboring warp strands creating a knot on the surface of the rug. After each row of knots is created, one or more strands of weft are passed through a complete set of warp strands. Then the knots and the weft strands are beaten with a comb securing the knots in place. Even though all pile rugs are woven with knots, different weaving groups use different types of knots. The weaving process begins at the bottom of the loom and moves upward as the horizontal rows of knots and wefts are added. Every single knot is tied by hand. A rug can consist of 25 to over 1000 knots per square inch. A skillful weaver is able to tie a knot in about ten seconds, meaning 6 knots per minute or 360 knots per hour. That means it would take a skillful weaver 6480 hours to weave a 9x12-foot rug with a density of 150 knots per square inch. If we divide this number by 8-hour working days, that means it would take one weaver 810 days (approximately two and a half years) to weave such a rug. A rug as large as a 9x12 is usually woven in a workshop or master workshop setting by two or three weavers, so the above time can be reduced by half or third. Imagine if the knot density is even higher! Handmade rugs are functional and exceptional works of art created with great patience. FOUNDATION Foundation refers to the basic structural components of handmade rugs. These components consist of warps and wefts. Warp Warps are vertical strands of fiber which stretch from the top to the bottom of the rug. Warps are an extremely important component because the knots are tied to them and the weft strands are passed (woven) through them. Even tension of all warp strands is essential in producing a rug without wrinkles. The extensions of warp strands are rug fringes. Fringes are knotted at the ends to ensure that the wefts and the knots do not unravel. Weft Wefts are horizontal strands of fiber that are passed (woven) through the warp strands. Unlike the warps, wefts are not structured prior to weaving. They are added before and in between the rows of knots to secure the knots in place. Each side of the rug, where the wefts begin and end, is called selvedge. Foundation Material In general, the same material is used for both warp and weft, and it is often cotton. Wool is used as a foundation material in some nomadic and village rugs because wool is readily available to these weaving groups. Silk is generally used in foundation of rugs with silk piles. Rugs with silk foundation and pile are very exceptional and expensive. These rugs are light in weight and are very finely knotted. Silk is a very good foundation material because it is very strong and keeps its shape.                                  RETURN TO TOP