Silk Weavings from Isfahan
Isfahan was the Central and Cultural capital of the Persian Empire of Shah Abbas throughout the 16th and 17th Century. Isfahan is already a city of ancient history and considerable wealth when Shah Abbas decides, in 1598, to turn it into a magnificent capital. It has a Masjid-i-Jami, or Friday Mosque, dating from the Seljuk period (11th-12th century), still surviving today and noted for its fine patterned brickwork. And it has a thriving school of craftsmen skilled in the making of polychrome ceramic tiles. Shah Abbas favor’s in architecture what comes to seem almost the theme of his city –
The 8 Points to a Carpet Part 2 5-8
Point 5: shearing in all pile carpets, after coming off the loom, the pile requires a shearing or cutting of the pile. most of the countries are still using a hand shearing process, where people use large cutting shears, cutting the pile. the important element to keep an eye out for is how even the shearing process is. if the pile is cut to0 low at certain points, then, a result can be unusual shading. normally the pile is cut in one direction. the natural phenomenon of a light and dark version of the carpet from one end to
The 8 Points to a Carpet Part 1 1-4
Point 1: foundation the foundation of a carpet would refer to the knot count. most oriental carpets’ knots are counted based upon a knot per square inch count. one would simply count the number of knots from an inch measured from the width, multiplied to the knot count measured one inch along the length. a per square inch count would result. one can also examine the various knot tying techniques, ranging from the persiansennehknots, to the turkishghiordes knots, to the double tibetan knots. there is also another category of carpets that are flat, with no pile. these are kilims (a
What’s happening with rugs?
By Lida Lavender It is my feeling that the wave of the future may just rest in the past. As a part of the rug trade for the last 22 years, I can’t help but fall in love with a new rug every single day. Rugs, tapestries and textiles of the late 19th century are some of the most beautiful / decorative art forms in the world, and there are days when I can’t help but feel like a kid in candy store. As the years go by, I tend to gravitate more towards the early rugs of the 16th
Tips for Buying an Oriental Carpet – Part 3: How to Choose an Oriental Rug
Now that you have some basic knowledge under your belt, let’s start putting the pieces together. Before you begin your search, take some time to decide what size and color you are looking for. Ideally, as conventional wisdom says, decorating a room should start with the Oriental rug because of the multitude of paint and fabric choices as opposed to the finite color and style of a chosen antique oriental rug. Now, that’s great if you’re starting from square one, but like most people, you are likely choosing a rug for an existing space that has a defined color and
Tips for Buying an Oriental Rug – Part 2: Hand-Made Oriental Rugs vs. Machine-Made Oriental Rugs
This is the second part in our series designed to educate you in the major aspects of buying antique oriental rugs and vintage oriental rugs. In this part, we will discuss how oriental rugs are made in order to illuminate the artistry behind these cherished works of art. Chances are, if you’ve been looking through antique oriental rugs already, you will have noticed that there are two broad categories of rugs: hand made oriental rugs and machine made oriental rugs. Since oriental rugs were originally woven by hand, let’s start with those beauties. Hand-Made Oriental Rugs These are made on
Tips for Buying an Oriental Rug – Part 1: The Talk of the Trade
You will be more prepared to purchase an oriental rug and appreciate the artistry that goes into every oriental rug with the more you know about oriental rugs. This multiple part series is designed to inform you in the major aspects of oriental rugs so that you are better prepared the next time you set out to acquire a new oriental rug. The Talk of the Trade: Warp – Vertical threads of yarn that extend throughout the entire length of the rug upon which the weaver ties knots. Weft – Horizontal threads of yarn that are woven over and under
Persian Rugs in Islamic Writings
Eastern Carpets and Persian Rugs turn up often in the book known as 1001 Nights, also known as Arabian Nights and 1001 Arabian Nights. 1001 nights is a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled originally in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age – which took place from around 750-1258 AD (or 750-1258 CE). During the Islamic Golden Age, Eastern Kingdoms were known for fantastic ancient textiles, ceramics, glass, metalwork, eastern carpets, Persian rugs, illuminate manuscripts, and intricate embroidery. The Eastern textile markets flourished, with spectacular Persian rugs, tapestries, eastern carpets and wall-hangings from the
Are Oriental Rugs Environmentally Friendly?
It’s no secret that preserving the environment is an increasingly high priority in the world today. We see people everywhere change aspects of their daily lives to reduce their footprint, whether it’s in reusable bags for shopping, solar panels for alternative energy or hybrid vehicles for transportation. While some changes are larger than others, keeping the environment in mind still makes a difference when making small changes or additions to your life. So, let’s look at oriental rugs. Are they environmentally friendly? A good quality rug, as in one that is woven with hand-spun wool and dyed with plant based
19th Century Antique Tibetan Dragon Carpets
It’s very rare to see this type of work – it’s a specialty. Dragons are one of the more popular designs on antique Tibetan carpets, as the Dragon is a good luck symbol in Tibetan folklore – Tibetans consider the Dragon to be a benevolent being, bringing goodwill to mankind. This is in sharp contrast to the way ancient Western culture portrays the Dragon – in George and the Dragon, for example. Dragons on Tibetan rugs usually take the form of a Thunder Dragon, or more rarely, a Wood Dragon. Thunder Dragons are often seen on Tibetan carpets with clouds
