Persian Carpets

Persian Carpets are works of art that imbue their surroundings with warmth and beauty while linking us to the ancient past. Persian carpets are appreciated globally for their fine weaving, beautiful colors and supreme tradition. When viewing a Persian carpet, one perceives a cultural journey over 2,500 years old. Historically, nomads, clerics and kings alike utilized Persian Carpets as furniture and decoration; today Persian rugs and carpets are appreciated as artworks and investments by an ever-expanding number of collectors and scholars. Persian rugs and carpets inherent beauty, unique compositions and rarity make them extremely desirable.

What is a Persian Carpet?

A Persian carpet is a rug that was hand knotted in Modern day Iran. Some rugs may be referred to as ‘Persian design’ if it is woven in another country in a traditionally Persian style. An example of this naming would be Indo-Persian rugs: those woven in India with Persian designs.

Note: If a rug is machine made (including hand tufted), it is not a Persian rug.

Persian Carpets as Artworks

Persian carpets are regarded as one of the highest levels of artistic sophistication accomplished by humankind; as such designers, artists and collectors covet these masterpieces. Today Persian carpets, both modern and antique, have found an ever expanding home within the art world. As Jason Nazmiyal, says: “…rugs seem to me to focus most effectively on the convergence of color, texture and design in perfect balance and harmony.”

How Are Names Ascribed to Persian Rugs?

With the introduction of varying cultures’ commodities and art (in all its varying forms) at the market place, came the inevitable copying and constant modifications of design and motifs. A rug’s design, in and of its self, does not necessarily identify where it was made, or the people who authored it. Antique Persian Carpets receive their names from either:

• The tribes or people that wove them
  (Ex: Kurdish rugs were woven by Kurdish people and since they were mostly nomadic, they are not assigned a specific city or region.)
• The region (city, district, town, villages) in which they were crafted.
  (Ex: Tabriz rugs were woven in the city of Tabriz.)

Design

While design styles vary from region to region, motifs found in Antique Persian Carpets widely include stylized intricate floral patterns, as well as larger geometric motifs. The more finely woven and intricate “city made” rugs (As a general rule, the finer pieces were woven in actual factories located in cities or industrial areas) will usually incorporate medallions and finely executed floral motif. The more geometric “village” industry rugs (woven mostly in peoples’ homes) will usually comprise more primitive, bold and geometric designs.

Note: Since it is forbidden by Muslim doctrine, it is rare to find antique Persian carpets depicting human or animal forms – when found, those pieces were mostly likely made specifically for European or Western markets by special order.

Design as a Family Business

Design styles were passed down through long lineages of craftsman within a tribe or group. Family members wove alongside one another, weaving first for the household and secondly for the market. For the common designer, individual identity was not important, what was important was to accurately execute the traditional style; thereby ascribing the signature patterns and motifs of the”tribe” to each carpet.

Dye

The Dyes used when weaving antique Persian rugs were generally natural; which served to create lustrous, animated works and as a result portrayed a great depth of field. The recipes used to dye the fibers (which were commonly comprised of berries, insects, minerals and seeds) were as unique to its tribe as the weaving techniques they employed and as such the recipes were guarded as precious tribal secrets. The first chemical dyes were introduced to the rug manufactory markets during the mid 1800’s, so it is not uncommon to see such dyes in late 19th century pieces.

Yarn

Beginning with the carpets of nomadic people, which were comprised solely of wool, Persian rug materials later expanded to include cotton and silk as well. It is not unusual to see a rug made of more than one material. For example, many rugs were comprised of cotton foundations and wool pile.

Wool used for Persian Carpets Silk Cocoons used for Persian Carpets

Yarn plays an important role in the value of the rug, but not as important as the knots themselves. Whether silk on silk or wool on cotton, it is the quality of the weave that truly makes a difference. When the yarn of a carpet is finely woven together in a manner that creates an orchestrated symphony of color and design, that piece will be of the greatest value.

Note: Persian carpet weavers either used 2-Ply or single strand yarn.

Weaving

Weave is the major factor in structure and the basis for comparison amongst rug types.

Note: In 1913 Walter A. Hawley was the first Western author to describe the characteristics of structure to be seen in various rugs.

Pile Carpets

Most immediately, pile rugs are a decorative alternative to hides and sheepskin; developed out of necessity by nomadic tribes. Pile is the yarn that is knotted onto the structural foundation (warp and weft), which gives the rug both its texture and design.

Note: The oldest known pile carpet (The Pazyryk Carpet) dates back to 600 BC, though the craft is thought to have existed even earlier.

Warp and Weft

The warp is composed of the tightly stretched vertical threads of the foundation (running throughout the entire carpet from end to end), while the weft stretches from side to side throughout the entire carpet and lies between the warp threads. In the trade, the warp is sometimes also called the ‘filler’ as it is used to fill in the weft, creating designs.

How Long Does it Take to Weave a Persian Carpet?

Typically, a single carpet could take months and even years of complex, detailed diligence to create. Time taken depends on the size and quality of the carpet (the finer the carpet the longer it takes to create). Often times many people would work side by side on the same carpet.

Hand Knotting

• Hand Knotted Rugs are the only Persian rugs.
• Hand-knotted carpets are more valuable than their hand-hooked or machine-made inferiors, due to labor intensity and exceptional skill level needed to execute design and technique.
• Hand-knotted carpets are more tightly woven than their counterparts, which make them stronger and more durable.

What is Knot Density?

Knot density refers to how many knots are agglomerated per square inch.

Note: While some consumers value knot density, the astute collector knows that the number of knots per square inch does not necessarily translate to a piece of greater value.

If a Carpet is Handmade, does that mean it is Hand Knotted?

No. Not all handmade carpets are hand knotted. Handmade may also refer to rugs and carpets tufted with a hand held tufting machine. Hand tufted rugs are of a lesser quality than hand knotted rugs.

Is My Carpet Hand Knotted?

An easy way to check if a carpet or rug is hand knotted is to fold a portion of the rug and look for an actual knot that was tied around the foundation (no machine-woven rug has the capability to actually knot).

Knot Types

Knot types used in Persian rugs include:

The Persian or Senneh Knot (asymmetrical) The Turkish or Ghiordes Knot (symmetrical) The Jufti Knot (tied around four warps)

The two most commonly used knots in Persian weaving are the Turkish (used in the Caucasus, some Turkish and Kurdish areas of Iran, Turkey and East Turkmenistan) and Persian knots (Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, China and India).

The Persian knot is commonly when weaving finer rugs, because it is generally more smaller than its counterparts. Wrapping around one warp, then passing behind the neighboring warp so that it divides the two ends of yarn, makes the knot.

The Turkish knot is made by passing between two neighboring warps, looping under one, wrapped around both, then pulled through the center - both ends will come out between the two warps. (Diagram of Turkish knot.)

Note: Double Knotted: The second knot sits in front of the first knot. With the double knot technique, the second knot is not visible from the back.

Antique Persian Carpets

• Antique rugs and carpets are those made before 1925.
• The number of Antique Persian Carpets will only decrease over time - one of the reasons why they are of such great value.

Age

• Age is the easiest to quantify of all the contributing value factors.
• When referring to carpets, the term antique refers to a piece that is at least eighty years old.

Authenticity

Authenticity also plays a crucial role in the appraisal of an antique carpet. The more the history and art of a particular culture is represented in the design, and the more aesthetically pleasing the carpet is as a whole, the more valuable the carpet.

Note:For example, the 16th-century Shah named Humayan found two painters after being exiled to Persia for 10 years. When he returned to India and regained power, he directed weavers to translate the painters’ style into rugs. These rugs can still be found today. Their unique beauty and inherent history is a paradigm example of what makes antique Oriental rugs so valuable.

What is Provenance?

Simply put, provenance is where an object comes from. When referring to the provenance of rugs and carpets, one is generally referring to the people who made the rug, the region it is from and who has previously owned the piece.

What gives an antique carpet its value is the degree to which it reflects the culture of the era in which it was created.

The Group versus the Individual Identity in Antique Persian Carpets

A master weaver’s signature and method can help in determining where the carpet was made, what style the carpet exhibits, and who the weaver was.

Urban cities have traditionally facilitated Persian rug weaving as a commercial industry. A certain manufactories production was greatly influenced by the market demands of the time. At the helms of such manufactories were master rug-weavers who chose colors and organized the weavers. These master-weavers designed with a personal identity that superseded group identity and in such instances, vernacular craft gave way to conscious visual art form. Today these masterworks can be found in museum collections such as those of The Metropolitan Museum and in the inventories of fine antique carpet galleries.

Persian Carpets as Investments

In addition to being beautiful works of art, Persian carpets have been collected throughout history (and continuing into modern day) as investments. Historically, Persian carpets have been referred to as ‘ Iranian stocks and shares:’ Iranian market places are full of underground vaults where businessmen keep the precious pieces as such. Persian carpets of museum quality will provide an investment similar to that of a master painting, but are relatively less expensive and of a more practical use. Today Persian carpets still remain a viable commodity.

Note: Relative to market demand, unless damaged, antique Persian rugs do not depreciate in value; therefore making valuable investments. Prices will reflect market demand.

Buying Persian Carpets

Condition

Normal wear and tear is a consequence of age. A carpet's wear adds to the patina of time and charm; therefore, the collector should look at some wear fondly. An ideal carpet condition is one in which the entire pile is present, including the fringe, side cords, and selvedges. A typical situation is one in which the rug pile is worn evenly, and reduced in height.

What is Abrash?

• Abrash refers to the change in color of a rug due to the use of different dye lots of wool.
• The Abrash follows the weft of yarn from left to right.
• Rug connoisseurs favorably regard abrash as a mark of authenticity of a hand woven rug.
• Today it is not uncommon to find manufacturers of machine-made rugs copying this effect in an effort to make their rugs appear hand knotted.

Repaired Persian Carpets

Usually, repaired carpets are not as valuable as carpets in their original condition; however, some repairs are unavoidable, a simple repair or extensive restoration may serve to increase the value and maintain the use of an antique carpet. To determine the value of an antique carpet, it is important to know how many repairs have been made. Some research should be done, as not all repairs are readily apparent. As with any work of art or object of practical function, a bad repair will decrease the value of a carpet, so it is important, when collecting antique carpets to evaluate the condition of each piece.

Note: As opposed to machine woven carpets, hand knotted carpets can be repaired.