MARIA SOCRATOUS looks at the history of the Persian carpets and outlines some of the signs of the genuine article
A HOUSE without carpets could be seen as a woman without jewellery, and the diamond tiara of carpets is definitely from Persia. But what makes Persian carpets so special, so highly regarded by the connoisseurs of the textile world?
As a consumer, it is important to remember that not all Persian carpets are the same and a lot of imitations are available. Those in the know will talk about knots per square inch and whether it is a ‘Kashan’ or an ‘Isfaham’. But for the less well informed how can you be certain that what you are buying is what the sales persons promises to be? For the IT literates a search on the internet can be very helpful as it provides images as well as substantial info; books on the subject can be very enlightening too.
To be able to distinguish which region the rug is from, you need to know a few basic details, which will also help determine their value and develop an appreciation of the craftsmanship involved. Persian carpets are hand-knotted and the knots used depend on the region. There is the Persian knot called ‘Sinneh’, while in Azerbaijan the Turkish knot ‘Ghiordes’ is used. In the Persian knot, the wool thread forms a single turn about the warp thread. One end comes out over the thread and the other over the next warp thread. In the Turkish knot the yarn is taken twice around two adjacent warp threads and the ends are drawn out between these two threads.
Differences between rugs lie in the quality, knots, design, colour, warp and weft. Highly skilled weavers in towns make finely knotted Persian carpets while nomads make the more coarsely knotted ones. The finest carpets come from Kashan and the not so fine ones come from Kurdistan. Farmers in the vicinity of Hamadan, in order to complement their income during the winter months, produce hand woven carpets. Obviously, since farmers do not have very delicate hands, they cannot tie very fine knots. The resulting carpets are heavy in comparison to carpets produced by professional weavers. However these carpets tend to be more durable and due to their heavy weight sit very well on the ground. Again, carpets woven by nomadic tribes have tighter knots and also tend to be smaller in size and this is due to the fact that they use portable looms which are smaller and restricts them to producing pieces lacking in size. A nomadic weaver can tie around 8,000 knots each day, but the professional worker can produce up to 12,000 knots.
TODAY carpet weaving is by far the most widespread handicraft in Iran. Persian carpets have been renowned for their richness in colour, variety of patterns and quality of design for centuries. In 1949 a Russian archaeologist discovered the world’s oldest knotted carpet in the Pazyryk valley. It was at an altitude of 5,000 feet in the Siberian mountains, preserved in the frozen tombs of Scythian chiefs that were 2,400 to 2,500 years old. The carpet, which is of rare beauty and woven with unrivalled technical skill, can now be found at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. The background of the carpet is a deep red colour and the pattern of the two borders has deers and horsemen.
The most common thread used for the Persian carpets comes from wool. ‘Kush’ is the most sought after type of wool as it is long, soft and silky. The wool is sheared in the spring from the bellies of sheep and goats, but in some areas of Kurdistan camel hair is used too. Silk is very expensive and fragile and does not fare as well as wool. But for those wishing for a finer knot and a delicate carpet, silk is the preferred material. It also has the advantage of not attracting moths.
In achieving the exquisite results of the Persian carpet, colour plays a major role. The dyes used to colour the wool derive from natural raw materials such as roots, flowers, barks and leaves. However some animal products and various insects were tested and used too. Skilled dyers were highly respected, as they were the ones to secure the importance of lengthening the lifespan of the Persian carpet by using the right dyes. Vegetable or chemical dyed carpets fade with time and over use. The advantage vegetable dyes have over their chemical counterparts is that when the vegetable dyed carpet starts to fade the colours become softer and more attractive unlike the chemical dyed carpets.
Some of the signs of an authentic Persian carpet are:
l For a finely knotted rug there are 65 to 330 knots per square inch. The most common motifs are those with flowers, linked by tendrils, including animals and plants. Geometric patterns are common and the colour scheme depends from which region the carpet comes. A very important point is to check the underside of the carpet. The more distinct the design/pattern is, the better the quality.
l In a Kashan carpet, attention is paid to the quality of wool, design and colours. Brick red and dark blue are the two colours associated with the said rug. The design varies from medallion with tendrils to vases, all over patterns to very fine floral designs. A woollen Kashan has 120 to 240 knots to square inch and the silk one has 240 to 550 knots. The warp and weft are made of cotton or silk.
l The Shiraz is named after the city of Shiraz, otherwise known as the city of roses and as such one of the designs features roses. But the motif associated with the Shiraz is the diamond-shaped lozenge. The design sometimes features one central one or a repeated pattern along the length of the carpet depending on its size. The diamond motif comes in light or dark blue in a background of red flowers or plants. The warp and weft threads are either wool or goat’s hair.
l The Isfahan carpets have fascinating designs using animals, flowers and the most recognisable motif of the medallion as well as the arabesques that appear on Islamic architecture. Both warp and weft are of cotton and there are 130 to 360 knots to every square inch.
l Nain, a small town in the province of Isfahan was trading in the weaving of woollen clothes but it switched to carpet weaving and now it is famous for its high density of 300 to 600 knots to square inch carpets. The rugs are almost exclusively made with silk and wool piles on cotton bases. The colours used for the Nain are beige, ivory, white alongside light greens, blue and azure.
l The more ordinary and inexpensive Balouchi rugs are more widely known. These carpets have dark red backgrounds and are woven by nomadic tribesmen. Increasing modernisation and urbanisation makes it very difficult for the small villages and the nomadic tribes to maintain their lifestyle and the tradition of carpet weaving.
n In the next issue of Property& the home (May 9), we will review what Persian carpets are available for purchase in Cyprus.
