Antique Oriental Carpets. Exploring The Beautiful Weaving Of Fine Oriental Rugs Of Old

The beautiful art of antique oriental carpets weaving dates back to around the days of King Solomon, and the history and tradition associated with weaving antique oriental carpets recalls great names like Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great!

The luxurious productions or oriental rugs by weavers from the east has always been in demand by western homes and collectors since the days of Marco Polo and the development of long distance travelling.

Rugs woven before 1875 are regarded as antiques. The New York Antique Society regards oriental area rugs as:

• Antique - when antique oriental carpets are over 100 years old
• Semi-antique -when antique oriental carpets or rugs are between 50 to 100 years old
• 'New' - antique oriental carpets and rugs less than 50 years old.

There are 6 main classifications of antique oriental carpets and each classified type is usually named after the probable area of origin of the weavers and of these there are 50 common types of rugs. They are (in no order of preference):

1. Chinese antique oriental carpets
2. Persian antique oriental carpets
3. Indian antique oriental carpets
4. Caucasian antique oriental carpets
5. Turkish antique oriental carpets
6. Turkoman antique oriental carpets

CHINESE ANTIQUE ORIENTAL CARPETS & RUGS

Instantly recognised by their beautiful colours, the choice is usually based on a background. Chinese antique oriental carpets weavers use what seems like a reverse weaving method of the Persian antique oriental carpets. Chinese oriental rug weavers use the best of colours and tone, utilising the light and soft colours of silk - dull yellows, salmon, brown, tans and rose.

Antique oriental carpets and rug designs were influenced by the religious faith of Buddhists, Taoists and Lamaists, with symbolism held as highly important themes. Pattern themes such as 'The hundred antiques', 'The fragrant fingers of Buddha', 'The waves and clouds of eternity', 'The mythical dragon', 'The horse', and many of such distinctive patterns were found in Chinese antique oriental carpets patterns.

Chinese patterns have been extensively imitated and highly commercialised with patterns and colouration now made solely to appeal to the western world. Many modern Chinese rug weavers and producers have disregarded old traditions unfortunately.

Persia is known as the first home of rug weaving on an enduring and commercial scale. Back then, the Crusaders were known to take home with them antique oriental carpets made in Persia.

The height of great Persian antique oriental carpet weaving occurred in the 16th century in Persia, during the reign of Shah Abass. During his reign, looms were set up in his palace where the most celebrated weavers of his time were employed.

Authentic Persian antique oriental carpets are well known for their profuse use of decorations such as flowers, vines, leaves, date palms, iris, hyacinth, the tree of life and a few birds and animals, all woven into the rugs in a freehand manner. The basic themes of Persian oriental rugs designs was from the old Eastern idea that 'Paradise is a Garden'.

Amongst the most popular Persian antique oriental carpets are:

• Saraband
• Herat
• Hamadan
• Sarook
• Bijar

Indian woven antique oriental carpets have patterns made of leaves, flowers, vines and occasional animals, all woven in a natural form. Colours are brilliant and the flora was sketched as though botanical specimens. In the latter times, Indian antique oriental carpets were mainly copies of Persian rugs though you could tell the copies a mile off.

The leading area names known with Indian antique oriental carpets and rugs are:

• Agha
• Lahore
• Kashmir
• Srinagar

A product of Central Asia, the Caucasian antique oriental carpets were mainly dyed in many colours apart from the popular blood red colour found in many authentic oriental rugs.

Antique oriental carpet designs were more crowded with patterns and they consisted of elaborate geometric patterns. There were also patterns of wooden men, women and animals. Colours were brilliant and patterns bold, setting off a seeming mosaic effects.

Some Caucasian design forms resemble snow crystals and others bear similarities to the American Indian and Navaho blanket rugs.

Some of the principal Caucasian antique oriental carpets are:

• Daghestan
• Shirvan
• Cashmere (erroneously attributed to India)
• Soumak

Turkish antique oriental carpets have both geometric and floral designs with characters drawn to ruler-line perfection. Their botanical forms and patterns are usually angular with brighter sharper colours  and more contrasting shades than those of the Caucasians and Turkoman.

Turkish rugs are the most difficult to weave and they are very well known for their prayer rugs which design and colouration originated from a bespoke weaver family at the time - Ghiordes. Many antique oriental carpets made in the interior were actually made in Smyrna, a port town. Armenian rugs are also associated with the Turkish.

Sometimes called Asia-Minor, Turkish antique oriental carpets can be distinguished from the Persian and Indian designs by the near perfection patterns often showing quasi-botanical forms.

Some of the well known Turkish antique oriental carpets are:

• Anatolian
• Armenian
• Bergamo
• Ghiordes

A group of products constitute the Turkoman antique oriental carpets, namely - Turkistan, Afghanistan, Beluchistan, Bokhara - and colours of deep blood red were favourite colours.

Oriental rugs are patterns of squares, diamonds, crosses, octagons, pure geometric linear designs and closely woven with short firm piles with web fringes.

That the tribes of these areas should dye their antique oriental carpets in blood red colours and have designs woven in childhood patterns is highly logical and fitting.

Today, oriental carpet production is very commercialised and although some still weave as was done in the ancient days, the mass production has affected quality because of the use of less than perfect craftsmen, cheaper weaving materials and modern chemical dyes.

Today, what we have all come to know as antique oriental rugs are mostly found in museums and in the homes of very wealthy antique oriental carpets and rug collectors.

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