Persian Rugs

For centuries, Persian rugs have been an essential part of Persian art and culture. Handmade Persian rugs are noted for their traditional patterns and detailed craftsmanship. Today, there are an estimated population of weavers in Iran (Persia) of more than a million artisans. The traditional designs which have been handed down through generations of weaver families have now been copied by weavers in other countries as well as in machine-produced products. Most of the world's supply of handmade rugs comes from Iran, in fact about four out of every rug is an exported product from Iran.

There are three basic types of rugs with the label “Persian “. Farsh or Qali are those larger than six by four feet. Those smaller than these measurements are called Qalicheh. Nomadic carpets are known as Gelim which includes flat weaves and pile rugs.

Unless you are a collector of the fine art represented by Persian rugs, you may not care about labels. The size of the rug is important though, as is the color and material of which it is made. You should be concerned about the material in order to ensure that your rug investment lasts for years. Wool is the most common material used in this type of rug. Sometimes the backing is made of cotton. It is important to note that there are varying grades of wool. 

While handmade rugs are designed using a range of traditional patterns and motifs, they are each different. Each weaver puts their own slight differences to the pattern.