How to Incorporate Persian Carpets into Modern Interior Design

 Most admired and most sought 

Persian Carpets are one of the oldest, most admired and most sought after art forms. They are hand-woven, primarily made of wool from sheep or silk and naturally dyed. They are durable and long-lasting, and their colors rarely fade.

The origins of Persian carpets can be traced back to a time before the Sassanid Empire in 224-641 AD, when it was a part of the Iranian civilization. The Chinese, Greeks and Romans all mention the production of sophisticated carpets in Persia.

Timur (1381-1482) and his successor

Over the centuries, Persian Carpets  underwent many changes in design and construction. They reached their zenith during the Islamic period and declined under the Mongol invasion. However, after the Mongols were defeated by Timur (1381-1482) and his successors, the art flourished once more. The best-known examples are those from the Safavid Dynasty, which are preserved in museum collections worldwide.

During the reign of Shah Abbas (1587- 1629), trade and craftsmanship flourished in Iran and the art of carpet weaving regained its status as a royal industry. This era was characterized by the creation of specialized court workshops where craftsmen turned hitherto primarily nomadic crafts into works of art.

Tabriz, Mashhad and Qum

Some of the most famous Persian Carpets are Heriz rugs, which are made in East Azerbaijan and woven with an oversized geometric medallions against rich red, rust or dark blue fields. Other important rugs are those from Kerman, Tabriz, Mashhad and Qum.

Most Persian Rugs have a name or a story associated with them. These names can be very important to the buyer, as they help in understanding the meaning of the motifs and patterns within a Persian rug.

A Persian rug is a piece of a woven fabric with designs and patterns which are based on the culture of the people who created it. These designs can range from simple to intricate, and can include a combination of geometric, floral and animal patterns.

The word Persian is derived from the ancient Iranian language, Fars, which means "good." Most modern carpets are woven in the West or South of Persia, but rugs can also be found in Iran itself.

Two major types of Persian carpets

There are two major types of Persian carpets - those whose weft is made from cotton and those whose weft is made from wool. The former have asymmetric knots, are double-wefted and are ridged-back whereas the latter are tufted with three wefts and have a flat pile.

Most Iranian carpets are knotted on a roller beam loom or on a hooked rug loom. These looms have two movable beams that hold the warps and are fitted with ratchets or other locking devices. When a section of the rug is completed, it is rolled onto the lower beam.

Conclusion

Other than the roller beam loom, other common Persian carpet looms are the hooked looms and the needlepoint loom. Usually a large number of different motifs are woven on a hooked loom, but sometimes small details like corner medallions and flowers are woven as well.