If you’ve ever come across a Persian rug, you might have been struck by the beauty and craftsmanship of it. And you also might have been shocked by the price tag attached! Persian rugs are the crème de la crème of rugs, and for good reason. The skill to make them requires a mastery of the art, one that can take a lifetime to learn.

Like any other great work of art, Persian rugs are collectable and can be very expensive. Let’s take a closer look at what makes them so valuable.

Main Features of a Persian Rug

1. Knot-tying

If you look closely at a Persian rug, you can begin to get a sense of the craft. Persian rugs are hand-made and hand-knotted. This means that the entire picture of fabric is created by thousands (and thousands!) of tiny knots. Each knot is carefully tied and even though that might not sound complicated, it is most certainly a skill that takes years of practice. A master will be able to tie each knot with a certain amount of height and plushness to create depth and density.

2. Design

Another component of Persian rugs is the design itself. There is always a complex plan in place because each knot needs to be carefully placed in order to create the final picture. The most masterful rugs will have perfectly geometrical designs that create harmony and balance. Further to that, curved lines are more difficult than straight lines, and complex colour combinations also require an in depth understanding of colour theory.

3. Materials

Rather than low-cost synthetic materials (like nylon, acrylic and others) that you might find on the market today, Persian rugs are make from naturally occurring fibers like silk, wool, cotton, jute, and sisal. These materials are more durable, stay cleaner, are fade resistant, better for the environment and are more luxurious and better for overall health and happiness (in our opinion!).

4. Age

As a testament to the longevity of this incredible craft, the oldest rug found in existence today dates to nearly 2,500 years ago, and it’s in pretty decent condition! It was preserved in a tomb that was excavated in 1949 from the Pazyryk Valley in the Altai Mountains of Siberia. The craftsmanship of this rug is breathtaking, and it has a very intricate and complex design including geometric, floral and pictorial patterns. This gives you an idea of how long this skill has been taught through the ages. Other examples of ancient rugs that have been preserved are hundreds of years old, massive in size, and available for viewing in different museums around the globe.

5. Uniqueness

Since natural fibres have natural variations in them, and since each rug is hand-made (as opposed to machine-made), no two Persian rugs are exactly the same. This makes each creation a stand alone work of art that can’t be replicated.

As you can see, Persian rugs stand above the rest in terms of high end luxury. It is no surprise that these creations come with a high price tag. Of course, the older and more complex they are, the pricier they will be.

We hope you enjoyed this peek into the world of Persian rugs and can come to offer them the appreciation they truly deserve.