Persian Rugs

The most desired handwoven rugs in the world are definitely Persian (Iranian) rugs. Initially they were simply necessities for the homes of the nomads to protect them from the harsh, cold conditions. Through their bright colors and magical designs, these floor coverings were more than simply warmth and comfort. They were also a form of literary expression, bringing happiness and enchantment to their dull tent homes.

Gradually, the beauty of handwoven rugs found new owners: kings and noblemen looking for symbols of wealth to adorn their fine palaces. To look at a Persian rug is to glance into a world of artistic excellence nurtured over more than 2500 years. The Persians were among the first handwoven rugs weavers of the ancient civilizations and through centuries of creativity and ingenuity, achieved a reputation around the world for their craftsmanship.

Today, with Iranians being increasingly swallowed up in an urban, industrial society, their love of the handwoven rugs is as strong as ever. To them it's a symbol of pride, because a home is bare and soulless without one. And to this day, Iran produces more handwoven rugs than all other rug producing nations combined.

Quality

Persian rugs are categorized by quality first and design second. Quality refers mainly to the knotting of the rug plain and simple: the higher the knot count, the higher the quality. Other factors that contribute to the grading of rugs are the quality of the wool or silk, the dyes used, and the symmetry and accuracy throughout the design.

You may come across coarse Persian rugs that aren't perfectly square or contain a main color that varies in tone from one end of the rug the other. These imperfections, however, are what give these rugs their character and authenticity. A machine made rugs may be perfectly square, but the quality of these mass-produced rugs is otherwise inferior to hand-knotted rugs in every aspect.

Surprisingly, a fine Persian rug will almost always include intentional imperfections. In fact, there's an old Persian proverb that says, "A Persian Rug is Perfectly Imperfect, and Precisely Imprecise". This notion of intentionally including slight and minor irregularities is derived from the religious belief that God is the only perfect being and that attempting absolute perfection would be claiming the position of the Almighty.