News & Information on Antique Oriental Rugs and Persian Carpets

The commonly accepted center of the rug universe is Persia, or modern-day Iran. Their styles represent the best features of almost every possible characteristic. From excellent construction to intricately beautiful designs. Dozens of styles have been born in this region. A few of the most notable are: Tabriz, Kerman, Sultanabad, Kashan, Kurdish, Lori, Bidjar, Baluch, Esfahan, Gabbeh, Hamedan, Bakshaish, Khorassan, Shahsavan, Afshar, Mahal, Senneh, Quashki, Farahan and Malayer to name a few.

Antique hand-made rugs from India are most notably known for their vibrant colors. The Indians produced some of the best natural color dyes from the wide selection of flora that was available to them. Many rug styles from India can also be recognized by the frequent use of animals and outdoor scenes. Some of the styles that emerged from here are called: Agra, Ottoman Embroydery, Millefleurs, Mugal, Indian Shall and Amritsar.

As we can see, the rug styles that Persia has produced alone can fill a book. From symmetrical designs to abstract, vivid to subdued, geometric to floral, pictoral to decorative these rugs are truly an art form produced by skilled artisans. Some of the many styles I have seen are: Alcaraz, Alpheora, Amritsar, Art Nouveau, Aubusson, Axminster, Azerbaijan, Bakhtiari, Bakshaish, Baluch, Bergama, Bessarabian, Bezalel, Bibkabad, Bidjar, Cairene, Central Asian Nomadic, Chenile, Chinese, Dagestan, Deco, Donegal, Early Turkish, English, Esfahan, Farahan, Gabbeh, Ganjeh, Giordes, Greek Embroidery, Hamedan, Hereke, Heriz, Hooked, Indian, Indian Shall, Indian Textile, Ingrain, Irish, Karabagh, Kashan, Kazak, Kerman, Khorassan, Khotan, Kilim, Kirshkir, Konya, Kuba, Kurdish, Lori, Mahal, Malayer, Milas, Millefleurs, Mongolian, Mood, Moroccan, Mugal, Navajo, Needlepoint, New Egyptian, Ningsia, North West, Ottoman Embroidery, Oushak, Peking, Polonaise, Quashki, Sarouk, Savonnerie, Senneh, Serapi, Shahestan, Shahsavan, Shirvan, Sivas, Spanish, Sultanabad, Sultanabad New, Tabriz, Tabriz New, Tapestry, Tehran, Tibetan, Turkish, Ukranian, Uzbek, Wilton, Yarkand, Yastic, Yazd, Yuruk and Zakatala.