Persian Rugs
A Persian carpet is a hand-knotted silk or silk/wool oriental rug from Iran (formerly known as Persia). They are known for intricate designs that are primarily oriental, floral style in a range of colours, sizes and quality. Persian Kerman rugs are a particular favourite of mine. I love the colour combinations of these rugs! They are often quite subtle, and 'de-saturated' which suits my restrained colour pallet perfectly. Today they are often woven to look antique!
Carpet weaving is an essential part of Persian culture and Iranian art. Within the group of Oriental rugs produced by the countries of the so-called "rug belt", the Persian carpet stands out by the variety and elaborateness of its manifold designs. The indigenous brilliance of local craftspeople has made Persian carpets one of the most sought after works of art in the world.
A rug design can be described by the way the ornaments are arranged within the pile. One basic design may dominate the entire field, or the surface may be covered by a pattern of repeating figures.
In areas with traditional, time-honoured local designs, such as the Persian nomad tribes, the weaver is able to work from memory, as the specific patterns are part of the family or tribal tradition. This is usually sufficient for less elaborate, mostly rectilinear designs. For more elaborate, especially curvilinear designs, the patterns are carefully drawn to scale in the proper colours on graph paper. The resulting design plan is termed a "cartoon". The weaver weaves a knot for each square on the scale paper, which allows for an accurate rendition of even the most complex designs. Designs have changed little through centuries of weaving.
Carpet weaving still plays a major part in the economy of modern Iran. Modern production is characterized by the revival of traditional dyeing with natural dyes, the reintroduction of traditional tribal patterns, but also by the invention of modern and innovative designs, woven in the centuries-old technique. Hand-woven Persian carpets and rugs have been regarded as objects of high artistic and utilitarian value and prestige since the first time they were mentioned by ancient Greek writers.
There is always a place for Persian rugs in my interior schemes. They blend so well with my design style and add an authentic layer of character and beauty!
