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The Persian rug is an essential part of Persian art and culture. Thus carpet-weaving is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished manifestations of Persian (Iranian) culture and art, and dates back to the Bronze Age.

The earliest surviving corpus of Persian carpets comes from the Safavid dynasty (1501-1736) in the 16th century. However, painted depictions prove a longer history of production. There is much variety among classical Persian carpets of the 16th and 17th century. Common motifs include scrolling vine networks, arabesques, palmettes, cloud bands, medallions, and overlapping geometric compartments. This is because Islam, the dominant religion in that part of the world, forbids the depiction of humans or animals. Still, some show figures engaged either in the hunt or feasting scenes. The majority of these carpets are wool, but several silk examples produced in Kashan survive.

History

With the passage of time, the materials used in carpets, including wool and cotton, decay. Therefore archaeologists are not able to make any particularly useful discoveries during archaeological excavations, save for special circumstances.

What has remained from early times as evidence of carpet-weaving is nothing more than a few pieces of worn-out rugs. And such fragments do not help very much in recognizing the carpet-weaving characteristics of pre-Seljuk period (13th and 14th centuries AD) in Persia.

Among the oldest pieces discovered are those found in Eastern Turkestan, dating back to the third to fifth centuries AD, and also some of the hand-weavings of the Seljuks of Asia Minor on exhibit in Alaأکآ£أ‚آ¢أƒآ¢أ¢â‚¬إ،أ‚آ¬أƒآ¢أ¢â‚¬إ¾أ‚آ¢edin Mosque in Konya and Ashrafoghlu Mosque in Beyshehir, Turkey. These pieces attracted the attention of researchers earlier this century, and now they are kept in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art in Istanbul and the Mowlana Museum in Konya.

In a unique archaeological excavation in 1949 however, the exceptional Pazyryk carpet was discovered among the ices of Pazyryk Valley, in Altai Mountains in Siberia. It was discovered in the grave of a Scythian prince by a group of Russian archaeologists under the supervision of Sergei Ivanovich Rudenko. Radiocarbon testing revealed that Pazyryk carpet was woven in the 5th century BC. This carpet is 1.83أکآ·أ‚آ£أƒآ¢أ¢â€ڑآ¬أ¢â‚¬آ‌2 meters and has 36 symmetrical knots per cmأکآ·أ‚آ¢أکآ¢أ‚آ². The advanced weaving technique used in the Pazyryk carpet indicates a long history of evolution and experience in this art. Most experts believe that the Pazyryk carpet is a late achievement of at least one thousand years of technique evolution and history.

According to this theory the art of carpet-weaving in Persia (Iran) is at least 3500 years old.

The Persian rug today

Although carpet production has mostly become mechanized today, the traditional hand woven rugs are still widely found, and usually have higher prices than the machine woven counterparts.

Anatolian & Persian Rugs

It is also important to differentiate between Anatolian (Turkish) carpets and Persian Carpets. Persian carpets are single tied wheras Turkish / Anatolian carpets are double tied. This means that for every 'vertical strand' of thread in a carpet, an Anatolian carpet has two knots as opposed to the one knot in a Persian carpet. Ultimately, this process of 'double knotting' in traditional Anatolian carpets results in a more choppy and block like image in the finished product as each 'vertical strand' takes more space on the loom. On the other hand, Persian carpet weavers traditionally single knot their carpets: This results in a much finer image on the carpet in the end as only the minimum amount of space is given for each 'vertical strand'.

It is this simple tradition of single knotting that has built the reputation of the Persian carpet as an object of luxury and desire throughout the globe to what it is today.

Traditional Centers of carpet production in Iran (Persia)

The major classical centers of carpet production in Persia were in Tabriz (1500-1550), Kashan (1525-1650), Herat (1525-1650), and Kerman (1600-1650).

The majority of carpets from Tabriz have a central medallion and quartered corner medallions superimposed over a field of scrolling vine ornament, sometimes punctuated with mounted hunters, single animals, or animal combat scenes. Perhaps the most well-known of the Tabriz works are the twin Ardabil carpets most likely made for the shrine at Ardabil (today in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the Los Angeles County Museum).

Kashan is known for its silk carpet production. Most famously, for the three silk hunting carpet masterpieces depicting mounted hunters and animal prey (currently in the collections of the Vienna Museum of Applied Arts (aka the MAK), the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Stockholm Museum). The Kashan rugs are among the most valuable in existence. One carpet, for example, is known to have been sold in Germany for $20,000 in 1969.

The Herat carpets, or ones of similar design created in Lahore and Agra, India, are the most numerous in Western collections. They are characterized by a red field with scrolling vine ornament and palmettes with dark green or blue borders.

The seven classes of Kerman carpet were defined by May Beattie. She identified their unique structure and named it the "vase technique." Carpet types in this group include garden carpets (ornamented with formal gardens and water channels) and the ogival lattice carpets. A fine and well-known example of the later was purchased by the Victoria and Albert Museum under the guidance of William Morris. The influence of Persian carpets is readily apparent in his carpet designs.

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all about carpet

Once you have decided upon the carpet you like you are well advised to have it professionally fitted. Before this you should obtain an estimate of the cost.

Estimates

An estimate is more accurate when your carpet supplier visits the location to measure the room and to assess the situation and the time it would take to lay the carpet.

The National Institute of Carpet and Floorlayers train all their members to exacting standards the highest of which is "Master Fitter".

When you receive an estimate ensure that it includes:

Advice on appropriate underlay - including pads on stair treads and risers.
Extra work such as clearing the room, easing the doors, type of fixing accessories, door plates and stair nosings if required.
Removing carpet and underlay waste.

Check which method of fixing is recommended by your supplier. Options include, tackless fitting, tacked down, rings and pins and stick down.

Remember, the total cost of any job is what matters. Offers such as free underlay, free fitting and other inducements are sometimes negated by the cost per unit of the carpet.

Some carpets are wasteful if fitted in some rooms due to the fixed widths that carpets are usually made. However, there are carpet ranges that are produced in several widths, which reduces the waste carpet, and at least one manufacturer, Ryalux Carpets, will supply exactly the width required with no waste, up to 5 metres wide.

Fitting

When your carpet has been fitted inspect it with the fitter and check for any loose edges and that it is stretched sufficiently.

For the most intricate fitting jobs, especially matching design repeats and complicated border work, insist upon a fully qualified fitter

Fibres & Yarns

All carpet results from the conversion of raw fibre. With a few exceptions, this fibre is spun into yarn and this yarn is then made into carpet through one of three methods - weaving, tufting and bonding. More about yarn spinning.

All carpet fibres have something special to offer, whether it is warmth, cleanability, hard wear, fire retardance or even price. Your carpet will perform longer and look better depending upon which fibre you select and how much is packed into the carpet.

Fibres are sometimes blended together to give the optimum performance at the best possible price.

There are two sources of carpet fibre - Natural and Man-Made.

Natural Fibres:

Man-made fibres:

Natural Fibres - Wool

Wool
The oldest and most popular of the natural fibres. Exceptionally suited to carpets because it combines hard wear with lasting good looks. Wool does not support combustion and under normal conditions does not conduct static electricity.

For a selection of British Wool Carpets.

Discover more about British Wool.

Silk

Little used except in fine quality hand made rugs.

Jute
Used mainly in backing materials but occasionally in surface fibres for flat woven rugs.

Coir
Coconut husks contain a strong and flexible fibre. The husks are harvested and soaked for many months before being beaten, washed and dried. The pale yellow fibres are then spun into yarn which is finally woven into either flat weave carpeting or cut pile rugs and mats.
For coir products call Tasibel. Tel: 020 7454 1230

Flax
Used occasionally in loop pile and flat weave rugs and carpets

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History

The Persian rug today

Anatolian & Persian Rugs

Traditional Centers of carpet production in Iran (Persia)