Antique Rugs and Textiles

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Many of the objects we think of today as decorative pieces for the home, or even as works of art, were first produced for functional purposes. Rugs and textiles certainly fit that description, whether it’s a carpet for the hallway, a framed
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Many of the objects we think of today as decorative pieces for the home, or even as works of art, were first produced for functional purposes. Rugs and textiles certainly fit that description, whether it’s a carpet for the hallway, a framed sampler above the fireplace, or a quilt for the bed. Woven rugs and carpets have been around for millennia, becoming synonymous with places like Turkey and Persia, now known as Iran. Persian rugs have a distinct look to them, as if a sort of ancient magic has infused their designs. Historically, there was a standard rug arrangement in the traditional Iranian home, and through most of the 20th century, Persian rugs were usually long and narrow, their shape the product of their creation on narrow nomad looms. Persian rugs are usually made of wool, cotton, and silk, and some Baluchi tribes even use goat’s hair for the selvages at the edge of the rug. The Kashan district produces the most silk rugs, as well as the the finest and most expensive Persian rugs, using locally spun silk. The fine thread is knotted on a foundation of silk, creating an extremely dense silk pile, up to 770 knots per square inch. These rugs are usually used for decoration. Iranian cotton is used for the warp and weft of many Persian rugs; a cotton foundation gives the rug a firm back so it lies evenly on the floor and won’t wrinkle even after washing. As for Nomad weavers, they have been making the warp and weft of their rugs out of wool for centuries. Their wool comes from sheep of every color, from off-white to black, along with cream, yellow, and brown. This variation enriches the weaver's palette. Beauty and symmetry rather than symbolism is most often the inspiration for Persian rug design. Patterns in Persian rugs often draw on natural subjects like trees, leaves, sprays of flowers, birds, and animals, as well as Chinese and Arabic geometric motifs. However, it is said that chrysanthemum and lotus flowers represent happiness and...
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