Handmade rugs and carpets for our purposes are generally made of wool, cotton or silk. In most cases these materials are found locally but with the expansion of trade and the ease of transportation, it is not unusual to see these materials used in regions that are far away from their origin, such as New Zealand and Australian wool being used in India or elsewhere in Asia.

Whenever the subject of handmade rugs is discussed, invariably the types of dyes used are questioned. Conventional wisdom holds that dyes made from organic materials are the best. What most people do not realize is that synthetic dyes have been in use since the 1860s. The first synthetic dyes were extremely strong in their tones, but as certain colors had never been attainable from natural sources, these dyes were welcome to many. The first of the synthetics were a fuchsia pink and an electric orange. The dyes were extremely fast and many carpets produced using these dyes can still be found today. Some carpets were a combination of the synthetics and natural dyes, and today it is interesting to examine these rugs and see how the natural dyes have mellowed with age while the synthetics stand out. Certain old dyes (primarily black, dark brown and some greens) made with organic materials were then made deeper in tone by the addition of ferrous (iron) oxide. This addition caused the dyed wool to break down prematurely. This is evidenced by areas in the rug where the yarn became so brittle that it simply rotted out of the rug. Purists will, of course, consider this a characteristic of the piece and, in some cases, an indication of age. Caution is suggested, however, when using this factor as a determinant of age. As the growth of chemical dyes continued, the range of colors became greater and they were generally accepted the world over. However, the inherent problem with the arrival of these new substances was that many weavers who acquired these dyes had no knowledge of how to apply them properly. The instructions were in another language, so the dyers simply applied them in the manner in which they were accustomed. Needless to say, by incorrectly applying the dyes they proved to be non-fast, thereby limiting the life of the tones. As time passed and new methods of producing chemical dye progressed, these materials were accepted even more readily and the techniques with which they were applied became more known. Natural dyes have made a resurgence in the modern market and are now hailed as the “new classics.”

The most basic starting point is the format in which the designs have been created. The three most common formats are 1) the quadrant, 2) the left-right and 3) the drop. In the higher quality rugs or the so-called “city rugs,” the design of the piece is drawn and colored on a piece of graph paper with each small square representing a knot. The weavers of these intricate designs and formal curvilinear patterns are required to follow the design knot by knot and to go back and correct any mistakes which may occur. In a quadrant format, the designer needs only to produce one quarter of the design on graph paper as the weaver will follow the design in a clockwise or counter-clockwise fashion, simply repeating the progression of knots in reverse order as needed. In the left-right format, which is, many times, a prayer rug design or a “tree” motif, the artist produces half of the design as it would appear split down the vertical axis. This creates a “mirror” image. A drop typically depicts an asymmetrical design such as a person, a picnic scene, a historic event, etc. In this format the artist must draw the whole design in its entirety.

We can divide the handmade rugs into two groups: city rugs and village rugs. The city rugs usually have a more detailed curvilinear pattern and a higher knot count — with exceptions of course. Some finely knotted silk city rugs have up to two thousand knots per square inch. The village rugs are generally less perfect in workmanship, more geometric and not as finely knotted, but just as popular and valuable as the city rugs. The more famous oriental rug producing cities and villages from each region are:

Persians Rugs (Iran)

Central region:

Isfahan, Najafabad, Josheqan, Kashan, Meymeh, Ardekan, Nain, Yazd, Qume, and Tehran

Northeast region:

Khorasan, Mashad, Birjand, Dorokhsh, and Kashmar.

East and south region:

Kerman, Lavar (Ravar) Kerman, Baluchi, Afshar, Qashqaee, Shiraz, and Abadeh.

West and west central region:

Lori, Baktiary, Kordish Bidjar, Seneh, Hamadan, Sarouk, Malayer, Lilihan, Tafresh, Enjelas, Hoseinabad, Farahan, Sarouk Farahan, Bibakabad, and Sultanabad.

Northwest region:

Tabriz, Khoy, Heriz, Serapi, Sarab, Karajeh, Bakhshayesh, and Goravan

Turkish Rugs

Oushack, Ghordies, Ladik, Sivas, Qaisary, Bergama, Kula, Kars, Konya, Beserabian and Herekeh

Caucasian Rugs

Shirvan, Kazak, Baku, Karabakh, Talish, Genjeh, Leshgi, Kuba and Seychur

French Rugs

Aubusson and Savonnerie