Weaving region: Iran

Categories produced: masterworkshop, workshop, village, and nomadic

For most people, the terms “Persian rugs” and “oriental rugs” are the same.

Persia is seen as the spiritual, if not actual, home of rug making and its name has become synonymous with the finest and and most outstanding achievements in oriental rug textile art. Much of this is due to the magnificent Court carpets of the 16th and 17th century which grace Western museums, and the 18th and 19th century masterpieces to be found in royal palaces and stately homes throughout the world. Yet these intricate and highly sophisticated masterworks are only a part of rug making tradition that encompasses the entire spectrum of the weaver’s art.

Persia is exceptional in the number and variety of its weaving groups.

No other country can boast the same range of master workshop, workshop, village and nomadic rugs, and none even comes close to the diversity of the Persian design. It is therefore hardly surprising that Persian compositions have not only been reproduced in countless machine made carpets in the West, but also emulated by most other rug-producing countries in the East. Today most oriental rugs – whether from Pakistan, India, or the Balkans – are based on Persian designs, and even China, with its own ancient and unique heritage, is now producing rugs with Persian schemes.

Source: Oriental Rugs A Buyers Guide by Lee Allane