Oriental rugs offer a depth of history and level of craftsmanship unmatched by mass-produced rugs manufactured today. These one-of-a-kind rugs can add warmth and energy or calm tranquility to any space in your home.
However, choosing the right Oriental rug can be challenging if you’ve never purchased one before. We’ll walk you through what you should know.
What Constitutes an Oriental Rug?
Oriental rugs embody a tradition and shared history, rather than coming from a single place in the world. The term applies equally to a handcrafted Persian rug as it does to a Pakistani rug or a rug from India made in the traditional way. Some of the names you’ll find these authentic rugs sold under include:
What about Aubusson rugs? While they share some visual similarities in terms of patterns, these rugs originate in France and cannot be called Oriental rugs.
Colors and Dyes
When it comes to choosing a hand-knotted rug for your home, color is one of the more important places to start. You’ll find rugs in teal, as well as options for an Oriental rug in blue, an Oriental rug in red, and more. Choose a color that will complement the space where you’ll use it and tie it into your existing color scheme.
Patterning
All Oriental rugs have a rich pattern, although they can vary a lot in terms of depth and amount of decoration. The patterns will also vary from region to region. Choose a pattern that’s appealing to you, but that will also work well in your space.
Size
Size is a major consideration, whether you’re purchasing an Oriental rug, vintage Oushak rugs, or something else. For instance, if you’ll be using the rug in a narrow space, Oriental runner rugs will be better suited than classic rugs.
Make Sure It’s Authentic
Finally, make sure any Oriental rugs you might consider are genuine. They should be made with hand-spun yarn and colored with organic dyes. Vegetable dyes offer softer, more muted tones than what you’ll find with many of today’s Art Deco rugs or pile rugs. Genuine hand-woven rugs should also feature a traditional pattern and knotted fringe.
Unsure if that Oriental rug is antique? Worried a hand-knotted rug you’re considering might not be the real deal? Check the backing. If it has plastic or synthetic backing, it’s not genuine. A true Oriental rug is hand knotted and has no backing material – the knots are plain to see.
When it comes to purchasing authentic rugs, it’s important to work with a trusted retailer. At Kurosh Persian Rugs we make sure to import our rugs directly from other nations and that they provide us with a guarantee of authenticity. We are highly knowledgeable about where each rug comes from, the materials used to craft it, the dyes used in coloring, as well as the history of the style.
Follow these tips and you’ll find choosing the right rug is easier than you might have thought, no matter where you want to use it.
