Floral Rugs

Learn More About Antique Floral Rugs

Floral rugs are one of the most universal and versatile devices available to carpet weavers around the globe. They are depicted in an overwhelming variety of colors, carpet design, styles and configurations that are always charming and beautiful. In the Ukraine and the Caucasus, flowers are often depicted in an abstract, stylized manner. Those produced in France tend to be lush, painterly, beautifully shaded and hyper-realistic. In China, symbolic lotus blossoms and ornate chrysanthemum flowers are transformed into decorative devices that are used in countless ways. In the early 20th century, Walter Nichols popularized a naturalistic floral style with graceful cherry blossoms and colorful flowers that dot articulated branches and shrubs. Weavers in Persia and India often transform flowers into stylized Shah Abbasi palmettes and radiant rosettes that become centerpieces for secondary botanical motifs.

Regardless of their color, shape or rug size, lush vegetative floral motifs are universal and individual symbols. They are enduring, elegant and versatile. Botanical motifs aren’t always diminutive feminine decorations. They can be bold, decorative luminaries that dictate the placement and appearance of neighboring elements. Flowers can be symbolic devices, naturalistic motifs or formal elements that add grace to the carpets they adorn. Whether they are depicted as a casual bouquet, an arching garland, a radiant medallion or a tasteful repeating pattern, floral elements are among the most classic motifs ever devised.

Floral rugs (or city made carpets) are woven with curvilinear patterns often with central medallions and reflect a close affinity with nature. They are intricately woven with a fine knot count and a colorful harmonious palate. The famous city carpets of Persia, like this beautiful Kerman, are almost always woven with floral motifs, but these organic forms can also be found elsewhere in the world. For example, this exceptional Indian Agra flaunts a series of palmettes and rosettes against a gorgeous sea green ground. Early 20th century Chinese Deco rugs are also famous for their floral arrangements as is exemplified in this oversize Art Deco rug.

The wild world of floral rugs – Flowers are universally popular, so it’s no surprise that floral rugs are among the most enduring and prevalent styles. From Europe and Bessarabia to America and Uzbekistan, flowers have inspired many astoundingly decorative patterns. These designs include expressive stylized blooms and abundant European bouquets that have painterly shadows and lifelike details. The wild world of floral rugs spans the continents and covers centuries of artistic creations.

Today, antique rugs with floral patterns feature abstract blooms and bold floral patterns, but these botanical motifs were years in the making. Pop art rug designers in the mid 20th century created many expressive floral rugs too, but these designs still hearken back to important historical patterns. The lush, large-scale blooms featured in chintz textiles and old world embroideries have sparked a modern revival of classic period patterns. Whether floral rugs have a stylized appearance or a preference for realism, it’s impossible to deny the timeless beauty of these naturally stylish pieces.

We feature a gorgeous selection of floral botanical rugs that can help you define your room’s decor without overwhelming the environment. The botanical selection features several beautiful rugs available in a number of neutral hues and vibrant jewel tones. Floral design rugs add an attractive focal point to the room. They are often used in a way that is similar to an accent wall, where even colors and patterns that do not seem to match the existing decor can contribute to the atmosphere in a defining and memorable way.

As such, these rugs, adorned with beautiful flowers, are ideal for all types of rooms. To optimize the appearance of the rug, many designers recommend for homeowners to organize with every color in mind to find a common theme or motif. Rugs and carpets with multiple patterns and colors may help homeowners decide on an optimal location according to the way the patterns are presented. Flowing designs and lighter hues are often chosen as a way to add accent to an area, resulting in the rug itself providing the room with an elegant touch of support. Darker tones and more rigid shapes, on the other hand, are often a powerful grounding force, which allows users to elegantly set them as a centerpiece. Depending on the desired results, homeowners can arrange their rugs as accenting pieces or breakaway objects depending on the level of contrast present.

A little bit of contrast can break up the space and reground the viewer’s vision in the desired direction. Other popular trends include using the jewel tones as scene-setters in cool and soothing areas. The primary jewel colors often add a necessary royalty to some homes, similar to the way marble can add class and character to a floor in an entryway. The tone are chosen to emphasize the cool colors of the surrounding atmosphere, making them perfect for blues, greens and darker neutrals. Heavier colors are often best chosen for areas that feature light neutrals. Because of the seemingly natural colors chosen for the rug, it can also look right at home in areas that feature abundant floral life, whether inside the room or visible in the surrounding windows.

How to Decorate with Floral Rugs

Spring is fully upon us, meaning warmer days spent in the sun, April showers, and of course, flowers. These florals are popping up not just in the gardens, but in fashion and design as well. We have the perfect way for you to incorporate florals into your life this spring: use floral rugs! These pieces are graceful and soft and are the perfect touch to your interior design. Let’s explore some of the best ways to use floral rugs in your interiors.

Refreshing Decor with Floral Rugs

Just as flowers themselves represent new growth and a refreshing change after a cold winter, florals in your decor are the perfect way to refresh and change up your space. Floral rugs are the perfect way to do that, as they are not permanent, and can be easily switched out as the seasons change. They are the perfect design piece because you can either choose bold graphics and colors or subdued patterns and shades, depending on your style.

Floral rugs make for gorgeous interior design.

A bold floral rug can go perfectly in the center of a room, displayed as the focal point either surrounded by furniture or on its own in a space like an entryway. The best part about bold floral rugs is that there are many different looks you can create. You can make an eclectic space with a bold floral piece and bright colors on the walls and main pieces of furniture, as well as lots of other floral decorative elements. You can also, conversely, choose to keep things artsy by only using a bold floral rug, but keeping the rest of the room neutral. Toned-down, minimal floral patterned rugs can look great in all different decor styles. Depending on the floral rug you choose, it can look romantic, classic, baroque, or neutral and modern.

Make a floral rug the centerpiece in your design.

When you’re decorating with floral rugs, a great rule of thumb is to echo the floral patterns in your rug in some other element in your space to draw the design together. For example, choose floral wall art or wallpaper, flowing flower-like shapes in a chandelier or light fixture, or even a vase of actual flowers.

Match floral rugs with other floral design elements, like throw pillows.

If you’re feeling creative, consider mixing florals with another pattern like geometrics. This bold look creates a confident, inspiring space for those who aren’t afraid to bend the rules a little bit. This independent look is all over Instagram and in the homes of celebrities, making it the perfect design choice for the trendsetters and creatives out there.

Many Types of Floral Rugs

Floral rugs are so much fun to design with because there are a myriad of different types to choose from. You can pick an oversized French Aubusson floral piece, perfect for French provincial or Rococo decor, and in rooms like the dining room. The graphic floral prints on many Romanian Bessarabian kilims give a playful and artsy, yet refined, vibe to the space you’re decorating. These often are woven in a runner or wide gallery length and would look great in a hallway. The intricate, detailed floral patterns on many Tabriz rugs are regal and luxurious, making them a stunning piece for spaces like a home office or a well decorated master bedroom.

There are many different types of floral rugs.

Looking for all-over patterned florals with swirling, dreamy shapes? Persian Khorassan rugs are the perfect piece for this, often containing exactly that look in neutral colors, perfect to accent a more subtle, minimal decor. There are many, many beautiful antique and vintage rug styles available today with the most stunning floral designs, in such a wide variety that you are sure to find the perfect one regardless of your design tastes.

The Language of Persian Rug Flower Designs

Hand-knotted rugs are filled with tradition and symbolism that goes back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Although not every design in the carpet has a significant meaning, many of them do have a meaning that goes beyond their beauty. During the Victorian Era, flowers and herbs were often given to another person to convey a specific meaning. The same concept is a part of ancient Chinese culture too. Persian carpets also have a language spoken by the plants and flowers that are included in them too.

Floral patterns are a common theme in Persian carpets. Garden inspired designs are the foundation for many carpet designs, including vase rugs and the tree of life. Many of the garden designs in carpets are reminiscent of the formal walled gardens that surrounded palaces and private estates. Garden designs convey a sense of beauty, but the individual plants and trees that are depicted also have a special meaning.

To understand the overall meaning of the carpet, you must look at the season that the carpet depicts. For instance, spring flowers represent a time of new beginnings, rebirth, and fertility. A carpet with full fruit trees ready to harvest and abundant summer flowers in bloom may represent a time of abundance and harvest. Fall would represent preparing for a time of rest. It would be safe to say that a majority of the carpets depict with spring or summer, representing a time of plenitude and growth.

The plants and trees in floral rugs from Persia universally represent the intimate connection between man and the natural world. Often, the gardens on the carpets only exist in the mind’s eye of the designer. In some cases, it is possible that the designer reflected gardens that were experienced by them in real life, but there is no way of knowing if this is the case for sure. We do know that the designs are beautiful, regardless of whether the subject is real or imagined.

References to the Garden of Eden are also a theme that is found throughout the world. Sometimes this connection is clear, and at other times, it is subtle. For instance, you may find a snake hiding among the branches of a tree or other subtle hints to that theme.

The history of antique traditrional Oriental rugs  from Persia dates back to 2,500 years ago, and symbols that are found throughout them are a result of the accumulation of symbols and cultural traditions over this long history. Many of the patterns and their meanings have been passed on orally down through the generations. It may be noted that some meanings differ from tribe to tribe and from region to region, but there are also some remarkable similarities too. Here are a few of the symbols that you may find in Persian carpets if you look closely.

Persian Rug Flower Designs As Well As Garden Symbols and Meanings

Flower Blossom Design

A flower that is only partially opened in the blossom stage stands for youth, newlyweds, spring, and an upcoming time of growth.

The blossom symbol.

An antique Persian Kerman carpet with blossom imagery.

Cypress Tree Design

The cypress tree is one of the most common trees depicted in Persian carpets. They are also a part of formal gardens that are easily distinguished by their spiked peaks that tower above the rest of the garden, quietly watching over it. They stretch towards the sky with their roots planted firmly in the ground. In this way, they represent the connection between Earth and heaven. Cypress trees are evergreens and do not die in the winter. They are also a long-lived tree and are a sign of eternity. They represent eternal life beyond our Earthly existence and life after death.

The cypress tree symbol.

Antique Persian Kerman Rug Featuring Cypress Imagery

Hyacinth Flower Design

The hyacinth symbolizes regeneration because it is one of the first flowers of spring. It is found in many carpets produced in cities and rural areas. It is found frequently in tribal rugs or village carpets.

The hyacinth symbol.

Antique Persian Haji Jalili Tabriz Rug Featuring The Hyacinth Glower Symbol

Iris Flower Design

The iris symbolizes freedom of religion. It is a rare symbol that is not found often.

The iris flower symbol.

Leaf Design

Leaves are a symbol of endless regeneration. They tell the story of the continuity of life and passing on from one generation to the next. Leaves are found in many different shapes and patterns. This beautiful sickle leaf carpet is an excellent example that features the leaf of the flower almost as much as the flower itself. It features beautiful, long, slender leavers in the border.

The leaf symbol.

An antique Persian Sickle Leaf carpet.

Lily Flower Design

The lily is a universal symbol associated with purity and spirituality. Lilies are found more often in older, antique carpets more so than in more recent ones.

The lily flower symbol.

Lotus Flower Design

The lotus is a symbol that is used in floral rugs from Persia and throughout the Orient, including China. The lotus is a sign of rebirth and immortality, similar in meaning to a cypress tree. It is similar in appearance to the peony and the Shah Abbas palmette design.

You will often see many different stylized renditions of this symbol. It is one of the most popular used throughout many areas of the world, but it conveys a similar meaning in many cultures.

The lotus flower symbol.

A charcoal grey Persian Khorassan rug with lotus imagery.

Peony Flower Design

The peony is a motif often found in city carpets. It is meant to convey power, rank, and wealth. Many times, it is similar to the Shah Abbas palmette and can be easily confused. The peony is a more straightforward design, whereas the Shah Abbas palmette will have more leaves and petals. It will also have more decoration. The peony represents the wealth and status of the Persian Empire.

The peony flower symbol.

An antique Perisan silk Tabriz Haji Jalili rug with the peony motif.

Pomegranate Design

The pomegranate is often depicted as the ripened fruit. It has connotations of the harvest and abundance. The pomegranate symbol in Persian floral rugs is considered to be a symbol of good luck and fortune in the future. It also has the connotation of fertility in all areas of life. It is a symbol that has also been stylized into many different forms.

The pomegranate design.

Rose Flower Design

Many do not consider the rose to be a traditional symbol of Persia, but several species of rose were well-known in the Persian Empire. One of these is the damask rose, which has a beautiful full scent used to make rose water. Roses depicted in carpets stand for different things according to their color. White roses stand for innocence, and red roses stand for passion.

The rose flower symbol.

Tree of Life Design

The tree of life is a favorite motif in Persian carpets. Sometimes, you will find an entire carpet based on the tree of life. Other times, the tree of life will be rendered as a small symbol in a more elaborate design. However, the meaning is always the same, and it represents a direct path to heaven. It also has connotations surrounding the Garden of Eden and the creation of all abundance on Earth. In this respect, it also stands for gratitude for the abundance that we have from the plant and animal kingdom. Sometimes birds are found within the tree of life which is also a symbol of good fortune. Some spectacular examples exist that feature this theme.

The tree of life symbol.

A Persian Kerman tree of life rug.

Tulips Flower Design

Tulips are often depicted in vibrant colors. Many times, you will find more than one type of tulip design in the same floral rugs. For instance, you may find a mixture of single and double tulips. The tulip is used to express the birth of a male child. It also represents prosperity. As they are one of the first flowers to bloom in spring, they are also a harbinger of growth and new beginnings.

The tulip rug symbol.

We hope that you have enjoyed your stroll through our garden at Nazmiyal Rugs. We encourage you to continue to look around. We have a large selection of carpets that offer a delightful garden of color and design. As you look through our collection, perhaps you will find the one that you must have for your own peaceful sanctuary.

Here are just some of our antique rugs with flower designs:

Antique Light Blue and Brown Persian Tabriz Rug

Light Blue and Brown Antique Persian Khorassan Rug

Antique Khorassan Persian Rug

Light Blue and Brown Antique Persian Khorassan Rug

Light Blue Antique Khorassan Persian Runner Rug

Antique Oversize Floral Romanian Bessarabian Kilim Rug

Antique Oversized Arts and Crafts William Morris Rug

Large Floral Antique French Savonnerie Carpet