A Brief History of Oriental Rugs
October 13, 2014 03:19:20pm
History Of The Oriental Rug
The construction of carpets and rugs is an art form that goes back millennia. Scientists and historians cannot know when and where the first ones were created, since the wool, silk, and other fibers used to make the first carpets would have decayed long before they could be excavated and studied. However, a few ancient relics discovered by archaeologists give some insight into the early construction and uses of the rugs and carpets that were the predecessors of the rugs we collect and value today.
Early Rugs And Their Cultural Importance
The first rugs were dually utilitarian and decorative. Nomadic tribes moving across the plains of central Asia created these early rugs using simple and transportable two-ribbed looms. The rugs served as ground cover inside tents, as well as wraps for the people themselves during harsh winters. Many of the rugs and carpets that have since been discovered provide valuable information about these tribes and their cultures. Dyes and pigments were used in rug making, and the roots, flowers, fruits, and other materials used in these dyes enable scientists to link tribes to specific regions. Likewise, patterns and motifs that were woven into the rugs document important cultural aspects of each tribe and region, such as warriors, horses and riders, deer, and types of vegetation.
Discovery Of The Pazyryk Carpet
An excavation of an ancient kurgan, or burial ground in the Altai mountains of Siberia unearthed what is understood to be the earliest known sample of a carpet or rug. The rug has been linked to the ancient nomadic tribes of the Pazyryk Valley, but because the valley was located along an important trade route, it is not known which country created the Pazyryk Carpet itself. Many experts identify it as Armenian, though others contest that it is Persian. It was found preserved in a sheet of ice, and radiocarbon testing indicates the carpet was created around 400 B.C. The carpet is 283 x 200 centimeters and has 36 symmetrical knots per square centimeter, with motifs depicting men on horseback. The advanced weaving techniques and high quality of the Pazyryk Carpet indicate that carpet making was a well established art form long before the Pazyryk itself was constructed.
Further Development Of Carpet And Rug Weaving
Through trade, new countries and regions were introduced to the construction of rugs and carpets and began to develop their own techniques and patterns. Hand-knotting and carpet weaving flourished throughout Asia, with individual countries establishing their own techniques and motifs, and bringing up their own skilled craftsmen.
Rug making flourished throughout the Medieval period, particularly under Seljuq rule. Persia remained at the heart of its development, and by the 8th century A.D., the Persian province of Azerbaijan was the recognized capital of carpet construction and trade. By the Renaissance period, fine rugs had become synonymous with wealth, and Shahs, Sheiks, and Emperors across the continent were demanding ornate rugs for their palaces, mosques, and temples. European countries likewise valued the fine carpets from the East, and commissioned them for their own kingdoms. Persian rugs were given as gifts among royalty to commemorate important weddings or coronations, and Renaissance paintings depict Persian rugs and carpets as wall hangings and floor coverings in countless palaces and castles.
The Oriental Rug And Persian Carpet Today
Oriental rugs and Persian carpets, as they are commonly known today, are still popular investments. Rugs are often named after the village or town in which they were woven, or in the case of nomadic rugs, after the tribe itself. In the most basic understanding, however, Oriental rugs are rugs that have been hand knotted in Asia, and Persian carpets are those that come from what is now Iran. Other countries, including India, China, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, and Nepal are all major exporters of Oriental and Persian rugs, and have established their own weaving and hand knotting industries, as well. The export of these carpets and rugs is a multimillion dollar industry, and though modern machinery has made mass production a possibility, the time-honored hand knotting, hand tufting, and traditional looms are still preferred. Oriental rugs and Persian carpets are often handmade and therefore inherently unique, and their quality makes them not only an investment for one’s home, but a work of art, an heirloom, and a piece of history to have for our own.
