Oriental Rug Styles

To the untrained eye, there is not a noticeable difference between many Oriental rugs. A professional, however, will tell you otherwise. The authenticity and value of a rug lies in the time and place of its creation. And while you might not have the experience or training of a professional, here are some tips to help you pick out distinct styles of rugs.

Dye type is important. If it is synthetic, then your Oriental rug was definitely made sometime after 1865. If the dye is natural, it was made any time in the last 3,000 years at the very least. Hand knotted rugs are, of course, knotted by hand. The important distinction in this type of rug is that the yarns are knotted around the warps that run the length of the rug. Typically, the more knots per square inch, the more valuable the rug. Flat woven Oriental rugs do not employ knots. Instead, the warp strands are passed through the weft (horizontal strands inserted to form the foundation of the rug) strands either by hand or on a loom. If your Oriental rug has a deep red dye known as cochineal, it is most likely from an old Indian rug. This dye is obtained from the dried bodies of insects. Romanian rugs are unique in that they are always made with light blue wefts. Afshars, a Turkish nomadic tribe, are known for making Oriental rugs that are nearly square that stand out when compared to the normally rectangular rugs. The northern Iranian city of Bijar is known to produce the heaviest Oriental rugs in the world for they are made with either double or triple wefts between each row of knots.