More than simply area rugs you throw on the floor, Persian and oriental rugs are artistic works worthy of care and appreciation. These are more than typical throw rugs and may not even be meant to endure foot traffic, at least not while wearing shoes. Understanding how these rugs are made will help you take better care of yours so it will last a lifetime.
Persian rugs are hand made from cotton, wool, or silk. Silk rugs are usually so delicate that you will more often see them hanging on the wall rather than lying on the floor. No matter what material is used, all Persian rugs are made using wefts and warps. These are the two main strands of yarn that create the pattern, texture, and pile of rug.
Warps run the entire length of the rug, they are the stronger of the two threads. The wefts are the strands that are woven under and over the warps to create the intricate patterns of these rugs. The patterns are often indicative of the area in which the rug was made. Persian rug patterns are passed down from generation to generation.
The weaving starts at the base. Wefts are passed through the bottom warps and loosely piled knots are tied in around the adjacent warps. With each additional row, the knots are tied to create the pile of the rug. Between each of those rows one or more of the weft threads will be tightly packed down to secure it.
There is no set number of knots per rug. The firmness of the weave and the quality of the thread used will vary with the number of knots for each individual rug. Per square inch, the number of knots can vary between twenty to five hundred. The more knots, the more expensive the rug.
Hand made Persian rugs are beautiful pieces of textile art that are created over a period of months of dedicated work. They are stunning additions to just about any style of décor and make great family heirlooms. If your Persian rugs are in need of a cleaning, call Royal Interior Cleaning. We will restore your rug to nearly perfect condition.
