Understanding the elements involved in producing a traditional, hand knotted carpet will heighten your enjoyment in your selection and increase your appreciation of their beauty.

If you have any questions on rugs that you like or would like to have. Please contact us so we can work with you to find the rug for you.

A silk carpet of the same size, being much more difficult to work, would take ten years to produce and would require 80,000 kilometres of silk from some 80,000 silk worms.

Many of the rich colours used in authentic Persian rugs are obtained from traditional vegetable dyes. Blue from the indigo plant, subtle browns from walnut husks, rich reds from madder roots and from the tiny bodies of cochineal insects … a superb rainbow of colours which form an integral part of the weavers’ designs.

Uneven colouring in a carpet is caused either by some yarns taking the dye better than others, or by the weaver using yarns from batches dyed at different times. Known as Abrash, the colour differences are not detrimental to the value of the carpet, and very often are regarded as a sign of authenticity.

Treasured designs that last for generations

Selecting a Persian Carpet can take time, with a great variety of colours and designs competing for your attention. From sumptuous Kashans, delicate silk and wool Qums, sophisticated Esfahans and Nains, brilliant Shiraz' and geometric Hamadans to the ever popular primitive designs of the Gabbehs … the task can seem daunting!

While it’s true that there are few works of art you can walk on, sit on, hang on your wall, or make health claims about, like choosing any work of art, selecting your Persian rug is largely a matter of personal taste.

There are three distinct types of Persian carpets:

1. Tribal rugs
   The name of a Persian rug normally refers to its geographical place of origin. However, since nomads are continually moving, and often crossing frontiers, it is difficult to attach a "place-name" to their work. Therefore, their rugs are known by the names of their tribal groups. Some examples of this are Qashqai, Gabbeh, Baluch and Bakhtiari.
   Predominantly made from pure wool, using natural dyes and traditional designs, the creative spirits and deft fingers of tribal women have kept this art form alive.
   
   
2. City Carpet
   Woven in Iran’s urban workshops on more sophisticated looms, with men and women working together, the weaving of a city carpet is directed by a "salim", who oversees the design being copied.
   A workshop rug is never improvised, as some of the nomadic rugs are, but is carefully thought out, often featuring more intricate designs, and using a combination of pure wool and silk.
   
   
3. Kilims
   Reputed to be as tough and handsome as the nomads who weave them, Kilims are a more primitive expression of the weavers' art and are still made in the tents and villages of the nomadic shepherds of Iran. Woven on simple horizontal looms, these flat weave rugs are decorated with geometric designs in soft and subtle vegetable dyes.
   Designed to lie on the ground, or make tent walls and roofs, kilims adapt to contemporary décor brilliantly. The earthy colours and traditional patterns team with antique pine furniture just as readily as with ultra-modern chrome and leather.