What Makes Persian Rugs so Special?

With songs, historians, philosophers, and various artists, Iranian culture contributed to the world's treasures. But one of the most well-known pieces of this culture is Persian Rugs. When you delve deep into the world of rugs, you will see that one of the most sought-after products is Persian Rugs.  

Persian rugs are a type of oriental rug. They are in high demand by amateurs who want to decorate their homes and professional collectors alike nicely. Seasoned collectors can differentiate artisans that craft the Persian Rugs see the meaning behind their patterns and color schemes. This article will review unique attributes of Persian Rugs that distinguish them from other rug types.  

Although they come in many sizes, shapes, styles, and materials, they are considered by high quality and high-end rugs by most rug appreciators. Persian Rugs are adored for their delicate designs, delightful colors, and expert craftsmanship. It is a tradition that dates back to 2500 years before and they are hand made with special techniques. Unfortunately, it takes quite a long time to manufacture a Persian Rug, depending on its size and materials.  

They are woven carefully at the hands of the artisan for months, even years at times. They are far more time-consuming to craft when compared to other oriental rugs. However, they reflect the artisan's skill, style, and character. As each weaver is different, each rug is also different.  

Even two Persian Rugs made by the same artisan might now match most of the time because even the artisan's mood affects the crafting process and shapes the rug. In addition, the skills used in weaving Persian Rugs are passed down from one generation to another thus there are differences between manufacturers, and each rug is one of a kind.  

They are timeless, high-quality products that are considered as artwork by most. Thus they are not some floor coverings with intricate designs. Instead, they are made from natural fibers such as wool and silk and dyed with natural dyes. Their attractive designs and the same as lovely paintings protect their value with times to come. A well-maintained rug will preserve its value, but it will also gain value over time.  

As they are thoroughly made with great care from high-quality materials, they are durable. They can challenge time and emerge as victors. They can last for decades, maybe even centuries, if properly maintained. Being truly timeless, they can be enjoyed by even generations to come. They are categorized based on their age as antique, semi-antique, vintage and new rugs.  

Apart from their artistic and material value, Persian Rugs fit great in homes as décor. But, more than a décor, they are a statement. They come in all shapes and colors, but they all have one thing in common: taste. Due to their individual and different styles, they can fit any room in any home. In addition, they rarely look out of place with their intricate designs.  

They are primarily used in rooms with low foot traffic not to wear them out, thus lowering their value. But they can go in any room such as kitchen, living room, bedroom, hallways, and any other room. They can go along with modern, rustic, antique furniture with their colorful patterns quite well. They are not only used as visual pieces, but they are also quite comfortable to use. They have different styles, such as tribal rugs.  

Persian Rugs have many great things, but some of their features shine brighter than others. Each Persian rug is one of a kind in design. As they are handmade rugs, even if they are woven together with the same pattern by the same artisan, you will notice slight differences in details. It makes every handmade Persian Rug different compared to others. Any premium item that comes as one kind has increased value, and Persian Rugs fit nicely into this category. On the other hand, machine-made rugs do not bear much weight as they are hardly one of a kind.  

One other thing is that they take a long time to be manufactured. They take up to years to be woven. With the manufacturing process depending highly on the artisan, they are carefully woven, it is said that the artisan pours their soul into their art when making a Persian Rug.  

Their quality never goes out of style. Oriental rugs have been manufactured for centuries before. But Persian Rugs are even older. With their origin dating back to 2500 years ago, they have been a highly preferred trade good. Handmade Persian rugs are mainly valued due to their knot count, as some of them have knot counts as high as 500 knots per square inch.  

The differences between handmade Persian Rugs are not so apparent for the average person. But when crafting their rugs, weavers put their story to every carpet fabric. If you can tell apart these symbols, you can connect the dots and get a glimpse of the weaver's perspective, environment, and community. Some experts can even pinpoint a Persian Rug's city, even a district in the city accurately judging by its symbols. It is even possible to tell the tribe it is made in when inspecting tribal rugs. They are unique to the artisan and reflect their story on the fine fabric canvas that is called a Persian Rug.  

A rug has several components to it.  

Border: Usually, there are two borders on Persian Rugs, the primary and guard the border. The main border is located at the most significant section of the rug and guard border inside the main border. 

Field: It is the colored background inside borders on Persian Rugs.  

Medallion: Most of the time, Persian Rugs bear a medal at the center; it is a large round or oval shape, which is the center of attention.  

Many people use the terms Persian Rug and Oriental Rug interchangeably, but this is not a correct way to use these terms. Rugs hand-knotted in Asia is called Oriental Rugs, and this term specifies a broader region. Persian Rugs are a subsection of this term and refer to a more specific region in Asia. Persian Rugs are generally categorized on their own due to the fact that they have one of a kind Persian knot techniques, have a more specific manufacture location and they are highly popular.  

Oriental Rugs may come from many countries such as Turkey, Iran, India, China, Russia, Pakistan, and Tibet. Each of these regions' oriental rugs is crafted in its characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages.  

For example, Chinese Rugs do not date too far back, even though traditional Chinese carpet weaving has been practiced for many centuries. Oriental rugs crafted in China have a faster and cheaper production process, thus, they are more affordable. Oriental rugs are woven by hand in a loom. Yarn strings are knotted to create aesthetic designs. Even though carpet weaving has been mostly industrialized, Oriental Rugs and Persian Rugs are still hand-knotted.  

Persian Rugs are hand-knotted rugs woven in Iran. The practice of weaving is persisting in modern Iran. Although they are Oriental Rugs, they have their category due to their popularity. They are far more well-known compared to other oriental rugs. One of the earliest examples of hand weaving was found in Persia, and it is practiced highly traditionally. Preserving tradition, even natural dyes are used in the manufacture of Persian Rugs. Techniques are passed down from generation to generation; some families have kept these traditions in Persian Carpet crafting for more than a century. Although they are categorized as oriental rugs, Persian rugs are widely appreciated compared to other Oriental rug types.  

With regular care and maintenance, an authentic Persian rug can last more than a Century. As they have a high knot count per square inch, Persian carpets are durable. The materials used in crafting them are also quite durable such as dyed wool and silk threads over silk foundation. Some of the Persian rugs that are made to be sturdier can last for many generations, even if they are in high foot traffic areas.  

A famous example that Persian Rugs are long-lasting is Pazyryk Rug, which is a rug that belongs to B.C. 300.  

If you are interested in collecting artworks, they can be pretty good collection materials as they are easy to display and store.  

There are many advantages of buying Persian Rugs, and they can be pretty decent to purchase. Let's look at the points that make Persian Rugs worth a buy.  

1.  Persian carpets are great for decoration; Persian Rugs are renowned for their beauty, durability, and warmth. Persian Rugs can fit into any room you may have in mind and can be used as a floor covering with their intricate designs, many color options, and different materials. Although Persian Rugs complement antique furniture quite well, if you have a modern design, they can boost the room's ambiance.
2.  Persian carpets are an investment; Unless they get damaged, Persian Rugs do not lose their value in time, they actually gain value over time. Therefore, they can be pretty lovely family heirlooms that can be passed down from generation to generation. As traditional rugs are very durable, they are timeless.  
3.  Persian carpets are art pieces; They are one of a kind, they have deeper meanings behind their beautiful symbols, and you can find many great stories behind the patterns. They are one of a kind. Even if the same artisan makes them, they are quite popular among collectors. Even when the same artisan makes them simultaneously with the same design, they will have differences in details.  
4.  If you appreciate textile arts; If you appreciate rugs, you will love Persian Rugs. They are one of the most incredible and highest quality rugs one can own. If you are into collecting textile artwork or like having friendly textile as décor, you will enjoy Persian Rugs.  
5. Comfort; Apart from their beauty, Persian Rugs are pretty comfortable in your home. They are soft to step on; if your floors are cold, they can be the perfect solution. Their fibers capture sound vibrations and make them more silent. They are ultimate comfort without giving style up.  
6.  Quality; If you are interested in quality, they address you. They are luxurious items, and the rate never goes out of fashion. People have been buying Persian Rugs for a millennium, continuing to do so. They are like gold; they will never lose their value. Every country and era has something they are famous for. Such as whisky, vases, cars, perfumes, etc. Iranian Tribes are renowned for their hand-knotted textiles, and it is a privilege to own them.  
7.  Understanding rugs; As much as they are visually pleasing, as we mentioned In prior sections, each pattern and symbol has a deeper meaning. Persian Rugs are symbols of a distinguished taste. It is great fun to understand rugs and identify the story behind them.  

As size directly affects the manufacture time of a Persian Rug, it is one of the significant factors that Persian Rugs are valuable. This is because rugs are hand-knotted, and artisans spend months carpet weaving. Therefore, the bigger the rug, the longer it takes to complete it. It is also logical to think that it takes more materials to make more oversized rugs—so more time and material requirements equal a higher price.  

However, size is not the only thing that affects value. The higher knot count per square inch is also a factor that affects the rug's value. As it will be more densely processed in every inch, the rug will be more valuable even though it will be smaller in size.  

Persian Rugs are pile woven; the main thing to consider when buying one is weaving consistency. You can check the front and back of the rug to see if it has any flaws. Minor flaws are bound to be in Persian Rugs because they are made by hand. However, minor flaws do not decrease their value. A perfect rug will lay smoothly on the floor. If they do not sit right on the floor, recheck them.  

Knot count is also an important point to consider. Although a lower knot count does not mean a softer quality rug, tribal rugs have lower knot counts but are not of lesser quality. But generally higher the knot count is, and the more intricate the design pattern is, the higher the price of Persian Rugs is.