Written by Joan Guryan
Monday, 28 August 2006
There are differences between Oriental rugs and carpets woven in the country versus those made in the city. Today many rugs are still woven in small villages, much as they were made for thousands of years, although for the past several hundred years the process has been industrialized.

Did you ever think about the difference between antique rugs woven in the city versus those made in the country? To begin with, the country weaver will use the materials at hand. She probably made her loom and used the wool from her own sheep or those of her neighbors. Perhaps the warp and weft was made from cotton because it was available. Also, it easier to weave a flat and straight carpet on a cotton foundation. She more than likely designed the rug herself, perhaps for her own use, without any intention of selling it. The weave may also be looser compared to that of a carpet produced in the city.

The city rug production was entirely different. Rugs were definitely created for a specific market. Probably one person designed the rug, while hired weavers produced the rug on more commercial looms, made for greater production. The weave was probably tighter, and probably, many more colors were used, or, at least, many more were available.

The country rug probably used no more than 5, or 6 dyes, while the rug produced in the city used at least 10. The country rug was more likely to have a design that was bold and geometric, while the city design tended to be more intricate and highly stylized.

Written by Joan Guryan
Monday, 07 August 2006

The Origin of Washed and Painted Rugs and How They Can Be Identified.

How did chemically washed and painted rugs come into existence, and how can they be identified. The demand for Antique Persian Rugs began in the 1920s. As wealthy Americans began to travel to Europe, they were expose to and influenced by new interior design styles. With the increase in demand and the lack of supply, rug dealers began to wash newer rugs chemically and paint them to give achieve an aged look. While washing the rugs affects both the front and back; painting only affects the front. Therefore a rug that has been chemically washed and painted will be lighter on the backside than the front. This is the opposite of a rug that has been aged naturally. Because the back of a naturally aged rug has not seen daylight, it is usually darker than the front.