Antique Rugs / Oriental Rugs

An oriental rug is a heavy textile, made for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purpose, produced in “Oriental countries” for home use, local sale, and export. 

Oriental carpets can be pile woven or flat woven without pile, using various materials such as silk, wool, and cotton. Examples range in size from pillow to large, room-sized carpets, and include carrier bags, floor coverings, decorations for animals, Islamic prayer rugs, Jewish Torah ark covers (parochet), and Christian altar covers. 

Since the High Middle Ages, oriental rugs have been an integral part of their cultures of origin, as well as of the European and, later on, the North American culture.

Geographically, oriental rugs are made in an area referred to as the “Rug Belt”, which stretches from Morocco across North Africa, the Middle East, and into Central Asia and northern India. It includes countries such as northern China, Tibet, Turkey, Iran, the Maghreb in the west, the Caucasus in the north, and India and Pakistan in the south.

Materials :

Mainly, animal wool from sheep and goats is used, occasionally also from camels. Yak and horse hair have been used in Far Eastern, but rarely in Middle Eastern rugs. Cotton is used for the foundation of the rug, but also in the pile. Silk from silk worms is used for representational rugs.

Types Of Antique Rugs / Oriental Rugs :

Chobi Ziegler :

Chobi Ziegler rugs are a traditional style of Oriental rug known for their muted color scheme and soft yet classic designs.

Persian rugs :

Persian rugs are Oriental rugs which have been hand-woven in Iran (formerly known as Persia). Persian rugs are one of the oldest, most respected, and traditional types of Oriental rugs.

Ikat rugs :

Ikat rugs are named after their design, which is one of the oldest known designs in the world. The famous Ikat pattern surfaced in ancient cultures from Peru to Japan to India and Yemen. The Ikat design is sort of tribal-looking, with abstract, tie-dye like features.

Bokhara rugs :

Similar to Persian rugs, Bokhara rugs are defined by where they were created. Bukhara, located in modern-day Uzbekistan, is a historic rug-producing town with a signature style. The Bokhara design usually features classic colors of red, navy, and brown, and incorporates oval-shaped motifs and a sparser background than other Oriental rugs.

Flat Weave Kilims : 

Kilims rugs are notable for their unique linear design, bold colors, and flat weave character. The word “Kilims” comes from the Persian term “gelim,” which means “spreading roughly.”

Modern and vogue rugs :

Modern and vogue rugs mix contemporary styles and colors with traditional, hand-knotted quality. These types of rugs are created with Western consumers in mind. Although their appearance is in line with modern designs and styles, the way in which these rugs are created is traditional. 

Thus, modern and vogue Oriental rugs have a very plush, natural texture and long-lasting quality.

Overdyed rugs :

Overdyed rugs are defined solely by their dyeing process. To create an overdyed rug, rug artists take an existing Oriental rug (of any style, but typically one that has been distressed or altered in some way) and re-dye it in a bold, single color.

Silk rugs :

Silk rugs contain a portion of silk in them. The higher the percentage of silk woven into a silk rug, the higher it’s valued. Silk rugs have an extremely soft, plush texture and beautiful sheen.

Patchwork rugs :

Patchwork rugs are defined by how they’re crafted. The patchwork process involves hand-stitching a number of existing Oriental rugs together, usually with thick, vibrantly colored thread.

Geogrophical Names Of Antique Rugs :

Afghan Rugs

Baluch Rugs

Caucasian Rugs

Heriz Rugs

Kurdish Rugs

Persian Rugs

Prayer Rugs

Qashqai Rugs

Turkish Rugs

Turkmen Rugs

Morrocon Rugs

Indian Rugs