Although many people in the carpet industry use the terms “Persian” and “Oriental” interchangeably, these rugs have their own distinct differences.
These rugs are actually very different from each other. The terms Persian and Oriental are used to indicate the area where the rug was made.
For example, carpets that are made in the Middle East such as Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran are known as Oriental rugs.
Persian rugs are a subset of Oriental rugs because they are made in Iran (formerly known as Persia).
Therefore, technically speaking, all Persian rugs fall under the broad category of Oriental rugs. However, all Oriental rugs are not Persian rugs.
This following article takes a deeper look into what the main features are of Persian and Oriental rugs.
Persian Rugs
Rugs that are handmade by skilled craftsmen are considered either Oriental or Persian rugs depending on where they are made.
If they are made in Iran, they are known as Persian while rugs made in other parts of the Middle East they are known as Oriental rugs.
With the latest technology, many elements of Persian rugs are actually created by machines.
However, they are still knotted by hand by skilled artisans using techniques that have been used for hundreds of years in Persia.
There are many traditional types of Persian rugs that originate from small villages all over Iran.
Each region has its own distinctive style since the craft is passed down from generation to generation.
Most of these designs are named after the village or nomadic tribe that created the carpet.
Some popular Persian carpet types include Kerman, Kashan, Tabriz, and Herat.
Materials Used To Create Persian Rugs
Wool yarn is the common material used to create Persian carpets.
Nomadic tribes were common in Iran before the industrial revolution. They used wool to create intricate patterns in the rugs by tying thousands of knots by hand.
Some carpets have more than 500 knots per square inch of carpet.
These carpets are oiled with lanolin which helps the carpet to survive for hundreds of years with any degradation.
Designs Of Persian Carpets
There are four traditional designs of Persian carpets. These patterns are central medallion, all-over, one-sided, and compartment. All these styles have symmetrical designs.
Oriental Rugs
Oriental rugs come from the other areas of the Middle East including China. In fact, the most distinctive style comes from China.
The Chinese revolutionised their manufacturing processes to produce rugs quickly and cheaply.
They use a westernised art deco design for their rugs in the 20th century.
Design Of Oriental Rugs
Oriental rug producers use a similar design to Persian rugs. However, Oriental rugs mostly contain flora and fauna motifs.
Cooler colour schemes are used for these rugs compared to Persian rugs. Many rugs are sculpted with contrasting colours which add texture to the designs.
Some designs contain a three-dimensional effect of fauna and flora raised from the fields.
As mentioned earlier, the terms Oriental and Persian are used interchangeably in the carpet industry, although both these categories have their own features.
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For your perfect rug, please call us today on (03) 9408 6090 or contact us through our website www.theruglady.com.au./pages/contact-us