SELECTING AN ORIENTAL RUG

 

There is no great mystery in Oriental rug selection. You are purchasing art in the truest sense of the term. And, as with all art, Oriental rug selection is purely subjective. Thus the rug or carpet you ultimately choose will be one of your personal preference, reflecting your taste and lifestyle.

In your search, do not seek perfection in an Oriental, you will not find it. An Oriental as with all things handmade, is perfect only in the sense that it is right for you, the individual, and less than perfect if it is not. In this it may help if you understand something of the weaver’s philosophy. It is essentially pragmatic - the weaver would laugh if someone were to argue that perfection is a necessary condition for art, for beauty. He realizes that he is mortal and that perfection lies only in the province of a Being greater than he.

A carpet or rug of great detail and exceptionally tight weave, such as Nains, Qums or Isfahans, are the princes of the Oriental realm. Such work represents a great investment of time. The weaver must spend a considerable measure of his life creating a woven pattern of great detail and delicate coloration, and you should expect to pay for his labor. Exceptional beauty, whenever there is a consensus thereof, may also affect the price.

While demand for Oriental rugs has continued to increase over the years, the supply has diminished, due to the effects of industrialization and militarization in the rug weaving centers. Whether this means that the tradition of Oriental rug weaving will suffer the same fate as other ancient handicrafts is difficult to say at present.

The art of Oriental rug weaving is as old as Central Asian civilization itself. The treasures it produces, the rugs themselves, are the truest testament to the art. We in the business of Oriental rug sales invite you to experience these treasures first-hand.

 

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