Oriental rugs have been adding to the décor in people’s homes for thousands of years (as early as the 8th century B.C.) and it does not look like they will be cast into extinction anytime soon. Chinese texts dating back almost 800 years contain the first documented evidence of the existence of these exquisite floor coverings.
Oriental rugs are organized by origin: Persian rugs, Anatolian rugs, Kurdish rugs, Caucasian rugs, Central Asian rugs, Turkestan rugs, Chinese rugs, and Tibetan rugs. Most of the history we know of stems from Persia (now known as the Islamic Republic of Iran) where the art form underwent many changes throughout various eras. Hence, these creations are most widely referred to as Persian rugs. Before the Mongols invaded Persia centuries ago, there was an upward trend in the use and manufacture of the Persian style carpet.
One theory on origin is that the technique of knotting carpets was begun by the nomadic tribes of Central Asia. These tribes produced small rugs typically decorated with geometric motifs inspired by plant and animal forms. For the nomad, the rugs were both decorative and utilitarian, serving as floor covers, wall hangings, curtains and saddlebags. Because the nomadic carpet-makers were forced to dismantle their looms and move on whenever their security was threatened by natural elements or human foes, their creations may contain irregularities in weave, selvages and design. The wandering nomads are credited with spreading the art of carpet-making to new lands and peoples.
Some of the greatest carpet-making centers developed in Persia and Turkey. Turkish rugs appear frequently in the paintings of well known artists. In fact, German artist Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) painted the geometrically patterned rugs so often that they came to be known in the West as Holbein carpets.
Western interest in Oriental rugs waned during the 17th and 18th centuries. But after the great exhibition of 1891 in Vienna, Europeans had renewed enthusiasm for the carpets. Americans soon followed suit. Western importers began asking the carpet-makers to modify dimensions, and sometimes color and design, to satisfy the tastes of Europe and the Americas. In the 21st century, the appeal of the Oriental rug continues to grow.
Although carpet production is now mostly mechanized, traditional hand woven carpets are still widely found all around the world, and usually have higher prices than their machine woven counterparts, due to the time intensive work in creating these works of art. The patterns and motifs continue to evolve in traditional, and non-traditional directions. For the discriminating buyer, nothing else has quite the charm and beauty of a handcrafted carpet.
