Vintage Persian Rugs
Vintage persian rugs bring to any room a unique blend of old world tradition and style. Their presence evokes exhilarating feelings of exotic, faraway places and bygone eras. These works of art are treasured around the globe for their rich color palette, artistic patterns and fine quality of weave. They are also considered investment worthy pieces. Some of the best known taste makers and interior designers incorporate them into their projects.
Persian carpets, originating in the region of Persia, have been used as floor coverings and decorative objects for hundreds, if not thousands of years. During the 18th and 19th centuries, these beautiful works of art became a must-have item for Europeans, and as a result they started to be produced in larger factories. These Persian rugs from the late 19th century were woven in cities such as Tabriz, Kerman, Hamadan, Khorassan and Heriz. These factories were different than the smaller villages or tribal rug weavers who incorporated a wide variety of weaving styles and techniques. They used natural dyes, most often derived from plants, seeds, insects and minerals. The standardized designs that these factory produced rugs used were created by a few court artists, who designed the motifs that would be repeated throughout a large number of carpets.
The resulting rugs are now referred to as “Mohtashem” rugs and are highly sought after for their beauty and value. They are often made with a unique design technique that allows for extremely complex floral and geometric motifs to be executed in stunningly intricate detail. Mohtashem rugs are renowned for their flawless proportions and fluidity of design, and ancient geometric principles that dictate form, scale and angles are strictly adhered to without seeming stiff or uninspired.
Unlike modern carpets that use synthetic fibers and chemical dyes, these older Persian rugs are woven with pure wool, and are hand-knotted by skilled female and male weavers. The creation of a single Persian rug can take months and even years. The more intricate the rug, the more kpsi (knots per square inch) it has, and thus takes longer to create.
LEVEL 1 HIGH COLLECTIBLE:
These rugs are the finest examples of traditional craftsmanship. They feature the luster of time-seasoned, all-natural dyes and exquisitely detailed floral designs that have been passed down from generation to generation. While not reaching the level of artistic virtuosity, design fluidity and color nuance of the Level 2 high collectibles, they are one-of-a-kind antique rugs that offer exceptional quality, beauty and enduring charm. They include standout rugs from the villages of northwestern Persia and south Persian Azerbaijan, as well as the premier rugs from tribal groups of Central Asia.