Oriental Rugs - Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is an Oriental rug?
A. Oriental rugs are made with natural fiber, in geographical areas that include the Near East, Middle East, Far East and the Balkans. True Oriental rugs also share common structural characteristics.
Oriental rugs are either hand-knotted or flat-woven. In hand-knotted rugs, strands of yarn are tied into the flat-woven foundation, creating a pile and pattern. From this basic structure a wide variety of weaving styles and designs have developed. In flat-woven, pileless rugs, horizontal and vertical yarns form both the rug itself and the design.
Q. What is the difference between a Persian and a Persian design rug?
A. A true Persian rug is a hand-knotted rug made in the country of Iran. Prior to 1935 rugs being woven in Iran were considered 'Persian ' rugs. Post 1935 rugs are considered Iranian rugs. A Persian design rug is any type of rug from any country exhibiting a Persian type pattern. Currently there are many countries replicating the old Persian design elements and motifs in rug manufacturing, including machine-made rugs.
Q. How do Oriental rugs get their name?
A. Originally the names of the oriental rugs referred to the city, village, or nomadic tribe where the rug was woven. Each had specific weaving techniques, patterns, and predominant colors used in creating their rugs. Using the cities to identify specific rug styles is no longer a rule of thumb since many patterns are now woven in countries other than their origin.The names are now more useful in describing a pattern rather than depicting the area where the rug was made.
Today, many rug names include a prefix that identifies their country of origin. For example, the rug name 'Indo Kashan' describes a rug with a Persian Kashan design that is woven in India. Likewise, a 'Sino Kashan' describes a Persian Kashan design rug that is woven in China. This is not always the case. New designs are sometimes given their own names by the wholesale rug companies that design and weave the rugs.
Q. What is the difference between hand knotted and hand made rugs?
A. All 'hand knotted' rugs are 'hand made'. All 'hand-made' rugs are not necessarily 'hand knotted', like Killims and Soumacs. Industry standards insist that for a product to be labeled as 'hand knotted' it must actually be knotted by hand. Many other rugs are labeled and advertised as 'hand made' but are most often manufactured by tufting yarn into a machine woven backing with a hand held tufting machine.
Q. What rugs do you carry and what price range are they?
A. Atiyehs carries machine loomed and hand made rugs from industry leading manufacturers and importers. All rugs are hand selected for value and quality. We represent all rug styles from tribal, contemporary and traditional Persian designs. Hand made rug prices vary according to the intricacy of design (knot count), wool quality and country of origin, as well as uniqueness of each individual piece.
Q. What care is required for an Oriental rug?
A. First, purchase a firm pad on which to lay the rug. It protects the rug from wear, tear and slippage. Second, vacuuming your rug regularly will remove harmful grit and prolong its life. If a spill occurs, call us to have it professionally cleaned. If you have an emergency, we will advise you as needed.
Q. What are the important factors in purchasing an Oriental rug?
A. Establish a relationship with a reputable and well established dealer. Atiyeh Bros., Inc. has been in the business locally since 1900. Avoid going-out-of-business sales. Find a pattern and color scheme that is pleasing to you. For durability and value, the wool quality is extremely important. The number of knots per square inch determine the fineness or pattern definition.
Q. Where can I read about Oriental rugs?
A. Contact us to receive a free copy of The Mystique of Oriental Rugs published by the Oriental Rug Retailers of America, Inc. Atiyeh Bros. is a member of the organization.
Q. Is Atiyeh Bros. expensive?
A. We price our rugs, carpeting and services fairly, based on their quality. That is why we have been in business for over 100 years and 70% of our customers are repeats or referrals. Our regular prices are often less than other store's sale prices for comparable quality.
Q. Should I be leery of going out of business (GOB) sales?
A. Yes! Every rug we sell is from our regular stock. At GOB sales, extra rugs are brought in, generally of lower quality, which importers have not been able to sell. Most often, a greater discount percentage does not mean the better price, let alone best value vs. quality. We have shopped other sales and find their claimed regular (before discount) prices are 2 to 3 times fair value / Atiyeh pricing.
For inspiration and to learn more about oriental rugs, check out our Oriental Rug Design Gallery.
Check out the Math Forum's article about the use of symmetry in oriental rug designs. Scholarly site.
All about Oriental Carpets for a great overview of regional and style differences. Deep and well researched with lots of pictures.
This Old House Magazine's article on how to choose an Oriental Rug.
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