Known for its fine workmanship and beauty, Persian Rug is the name given to rugs made using wool yarn and silk and woven with Iranian and Turkish knotting techniques. These rugs are quality hand-woven rugs colored with natural dyes and therefore have a very delicate structure.
Persian Rugs are woven with wool and silk threads as fine weaving. It also has its own techniques. These cause the texture of the rug to be formed and valuable. Persian rugs, which have a very delicate structure, are one of the most difficult and expensive rugs to maintain.
The Intricate Artistry of Persian Rug Designs
Rug weaving in Iran can be traced to antique times. However, there are no old examples of Persian rugs. However, rug patterns are found in miniatures of the 14th and 15th centuries. Distinctive features and characteristics of Persian rugs began to emerge during the 16th century. Its brightest period was after these dates. In this period, rugs were made for and attached to the palace. With the establishment of good trade organizations since the 19th century, Iran has made it the first rug exporter country in the world rug trade.
Persian rug art reached its peak during the Safavid era in the 16th century. The fact that the first concrete evidences of this art belong to this period confirms this information. Approximately 1500 examples from this period are preserved in museums and private collections around the world. During the reign of Shah Abbas, progress was made in trade and art.
Shah Abbas developed trade by supporting relations with Europe and at the same time turned the capital Isfahan into a magnificent city. Apart from these, he established a royal workshop for rugs and encouraged talented craftsmen and designers to create magnificent examples in this workshop.
The Use of Natural Dyes in Persian Rug-Making
Persian rugs are colored by using madder. If you want to buy these rugs, there are many choices inside it. Some of them are:
- Pear Tree
- Yellow Gram
- Alpinia Officinarum
- Suspended
- Quince Tree
- Painter Aspirin
- Painter's Daisy
- Buckthorn
- Walnut
- İndigo
- Eastern Sycamore
- Hibiscus
- Lime Tree
- Root Paint
- Licorice Root
- Nowruz Grass
- Peach Tree
Apart from these, there are different root dyes used in making Persian rugs. For this reason, Persian rugs come in quite different colors.
The Different Types of Persian Rugs: Tabriz, Isfahan, Kashan, and More
“Tabriz rugs” contain wool or wool/silk pile among Persian rugs. It has high quality construction, the warp of which is cotton or silk.
When the patterns of such rugs are examined, there are tear medallions, flowers, trees, hunting scenes and many other motifs. It is very valuable and has a strong, quality structure.
“Heriz rugs” are another model among the Persian rug models. It has bright vivid colors and characteristic bold patterns. Thus, it reveals itself easily. “Heriz rugs” consist of a double or triple frame in the center, large corner pieces and a large medallion. This rug is highly durable and designed to withstand many years of use.
“Kashan rugs” are another type of Persian rug. As this structure, the medallion and corner pattern on the ornate floral-patterned ground are the main features of “Kashan rugs”. Frequently, the designs of these rugs incorporate a blend of vivid reds, deep blues, and ivory, interspersed with occasional hints of yellow, green, and burnt orange. It has a high quality as the node counts range from 100 kpsi to 800 kpsi.
“Isfahan rugs” are produced using silk and wool. In these handmade rugs, indigo, rose or motifs that are very compatible with the ivy around the blue medallion are used as colors and motifs. “Isfahan rugs” are meticulously embroidered on an ivory background.
In addition to all these, there are also “Gabbeh rugs”. These rugs are crafted by weavers of the Qashqai and Luri tribes residing in the Zagros Mountains. In this respect, the great influence of the tribal culture on the design of the “Gabbeh rug” can be seen. Weavers produce “Gabbeh rugs” from hand-knitted wool. Thus, making the pieces thick and coarse.
“Gabbeh rugs” are distinguished by simple designs woven in a flat, rich color space. Especially orange, yellow, rust, and red are the most common colors. Since it is a Persian rug, natural dyes are used.
“Nain rug” is another type among Persian rug models. With knot counts ranging from approximately 300 kpsi to 700 kpsi, these Persian rugs boast exquisitely fine wool. Therefore, it has a quality structure. It has an extremely complex structure in terms of patterns and motifs. Although it varies, usually small-flowered blue and green intertwined branches create “Nain rug “patterns. The masters embroider these patterns on a white or light ivory background.