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Biography
The history of Persian rugs dates back thousands of years. They are admired and treasured world-wide for their beauty, artistry, craftsmanship, and heritage. Here is a brief history.
A Persian carpet or Iranian carpet (Persian: فرش ايرانى farsh, meaning "to spread") also known as Iranian rugs (قالی ايرانى qālī) is a heavy textile, made for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purpose, produced in Iran and surrounding areas which once belonged to the Persian Empire, for home use, local sale, and export. Carpet weaving is an essential part of Persian culture and art. Within the group of Oriental rugs or Islamic carpets produced by the countries of the so-called "rug belt", the Persian carpet stands out by the variety and elaborateness of its manifold designs.
Persian carpets and rugs of various types were woven in parallel by nomadic tribes, in village and town workshops, and by royal court manufactories alike. As such, they represent different, simultaneous lines of tradition, and reflect the history of Iran and its various peoples. The carpets woven in the Safavid court manufactories of Isfahan during the sixteenth century are famous for their elaborate colours and artistical design, and are treasured in museums and private collections all over the world today. Their patterns and designs have set an artistic tradition for court manufactories which was kept alive during the entire duration of the Persian Empire up to the last royal dynasty of Iran.
Carpets woven in towns and regional centers like Tabriz, Kerman, Mashhad, Kashan, Isfahan, Nain and Qom are characterized by their specific weaving techniques and use of high-quality materials, colours and patterns. Town manufactories like those of Tabriz have played an important historical role in reviving the tradition of carpet weaving after periods of decline. Rugs woven by the villages and various tribes of Iran are distinguished by their fine wool, bright and elaborate colours, and specific, traditional patterns. Nomadic and small village weavers often produce rugs with bolder and sometimes more coarse designs, which are considered as the most authentic and traditional rugs of Persia, as opposed to the artistic, pre-planned designs of the larger workplaces. Gabbeh rugs are the best-known type of carpet from this line of tradition.
The art and craft of carpet weaving has gone through periods of decline during times of political unrest, or under the influence of commercial demands. It particularly suffered from the introduction of synthetic dyes during the second half of the nineteenth century. Carpet weaving still plays a major part in the economy of modern Iran. Modern production is characterized by the revival of traditional dyeing with natural dyes, the reintroduction of traditional tribal patterns, but also by the invention of modern and innovative designs, woven in the centuries-old technique. Hand-woven Persian carpets and rugs were regarded around the world and still until today, it considered as a luxurious piece of art to design homes. Despite the mass production of carpets with new technologies, Persian rugs have found their way to demonstrate the new generation of rugs which is combination of hand and machine for the highest quality and resolution of the designs.
One of the significant specifications of rugs is the density of yarn. This is very important to the quality of the rug as well as the design. Rugs with higher density live much longer and the quality of the design is significantly higher than rugs with lover density. These days, the modern carpets and rugs have 400 to 650 reeds per meter. However, the highest
In 1992, the first Grand Persian Conference and Exhibition in Tehran presented for the first time modern Persian carpet designs. Persian master weavers like Razam Arabzadeh displayed carpets woven in the traditional technique, but with unusual, modern designs. As the Grand Conferences continue to take place at regular intervals, two trends can be observed in Iranian carpet weaving today. On the one hand, modern and innovative artistic designs are invented and developed by Iranian manufacturers, who thus take the ancient design tradition forward towards the twenty-first century. On the other hand, the renewed interest in natural dyes was taken up by commercial enterprises, which commission carpets to tribal village weavers. As commercial household goods, Persian carpets today are encountering competition from other countries with lower wages and cheaper methods of production: Machine-woven, tufted rugs, or rugs woven by hand, but with the faster and less costly loop weaving method, provide rugs in "oriental" designs of utilitarian, but no artistic value. Traditional hand woven carpets, made of sheep wool dyed with natural colours are increasingly sought after. They are usually sold at higher prices due to the large amount of manual work associated with their production, which has, essentially, not changed since ancient times, and due to the artistic value of their design. Thus, the Persian carpet retains its ancient status as an object of luxury, beauty, and art.
At VisualSilk, we understand that Persian and Jewish history and culture are intertwined and inseparable. Each has contributed immeasurably to the other. We continue this ancient tradition with modern know-how, blending Persian artisanship with Judaic artistry. Our rugs are the finest of their kind, woven with high-tech machinery and highly skilled handiwork. Once unaffordable to most people, these magnificent works of art can now make even a modest home look and feel luxurious. Wheter you are a member of the Jewish community in United States, Israel, or elsewhere, or simply an aficionado of fine art, you will find a rug in our splendid collection that suits your style, taste, and home decor. Birkat Habait, birkat Kohanim, Eshet Chail and Tefilat Toda are just a few of the designs available.
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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_carpet