Is Your Oriental Rug a City Rug or a Tribal Rug?
November 9, 2017 02:04:15pm
Oriental rugs can be subdivided into two categories: tribal rugs and city rugs. What differentiates these classifications, and what type of rug do you have?
All About City Rugs:
- City rugs are known for their elegance, precision, sophistication, and refined qualities.
- City rugs are most commonly produced in the big cities of Tabriz, Kashan, Amritsar, and Tehran.
- Common design features of city rugs include curvilinear designs, extremely fine weave and detail work, and elaborate patterns, usually botanical or floral in nature.
- Perfect symmetry is featured throughout the design on a city rug. This is because symmetry was thought to reflect the perfect order of the universe.
- Pile is generally cut very low in order to showcase the detail of the weave.
- Each city has its own characteristic set of patterns and colors, which are represented in each of its rugs. These patterns, in turn, can be used to trace the rug back to its city of origin.
- The design plan for each city rug is created by a master rug designer, and consists of sophisticated knot-by-knot instructions, and rugs are woven in a shop by multiple weavers, often under the watchful eye of the master rug designer, who ensures that the plans are followed exactly, and that the quality of work is up to the desired standards.
- In general, city rugs come from extraordinarily gifted and revered rug designers, highly skilled weavers, large scale operations, and tight quality control.
All About Tribal Rugs:
- Tribal rugs are coveted for their elemental, geometric patterns and bold colors.
- Tribal regions that are known for their rugs include Afshar, Arab Khamseh, Baluchi, Caucasian (from the Caucasus Mountains), Kurdish, and Persian Qashqai, among many others.
- Common design features among tribal rugs include animals, people, and important symbols, all represented in geometric, block style patterns.
- Tribal rugs often have looser weaves and coarse fibers.
- Tribal rugs are woven by nomadic weavers who weave as they travel. They were woven on portable looms which were significantly smaller than those used in city rugs and other types of weavings. Therefore, tribal rugs are smaller in size than many other types of rugs. Even tribes who eventually settled in villages used these smaller looms.
- The patterns for tribal rugs have been handed down from generation to generation, in the oral tradition, often going back centuries. The weavers know the patterns by heart. These tribes often have no written histories, and these rugs retell historic events and express cultural heritage through their patterns and symbolism.
In addition to being highly prized works of art, tribal and city rugs are highly valued for historic and cultural purposes. The weaving methods for both styles of rug have been used for hundreds – if not thousands – of years, which adds to the allure of the Oriental rugs and Persian rugs, especially to rug lovers like all of us!
High quality Oriental rugs, tribal rugs and city rugs call for an equally high quality level of care. RugPro is the best Oriental rug cleaning company Jacksonville FL rug owners rely on for all rug cleaning and care. We specialize in caring for each area rug as if it were our own, and have earned the trust of rug owners across Jacksonville, Fleming Island, Riverside Avondale, Ortega, Ponte Vedra Beach, and beyond. We work with each client to design and customize a rug care regimen that fits the unique needs of the rug, as well as the wishes of the client. We also use rug cleaning methods and systems that are proven to be safe and effective for even the finest threads, richest vegetal dyes, and centuries-old construction. Your rug is safe with us, and you will truly love the results!
