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Oriental Rugs

What is an "Oriental" rug?
"Oriental" is a term used for hand-knotted rugs coming from many countries: Iran, India, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Nepal, and Tibet, to name most. It is also a label incorrectly applied to machine-made oriental copies, such as tufted rugs, the Karastans, or machine-mades, and some of the inexpensive polypropylene rugs.

A handmade oriental rug is, in very simple terms, a wool rug woven on a loom that has been strung with warp threads (which become the fringe) on which the design is created by knotting yarns of different colors onto that warp (or in the case of Kilims or Soumaks, by joining different colored yarns in a flatweave). 

Most people think of an oriental carpet as having a small, detailed design, and being quite formal. These days, there is a wide variety of handwoven rug designs, many of which are more simple and modern (see our sections on “Tibetan Rugs” and “Contemporary Rugs”), and made for our western tastes and lifestyles.



Many handwoven rugs in people's homes and private collections have lasted for generations, and have become like a member of the family! Both old rugs and new ones are prized more than ever today because many people are installing or uncovering hardwood floors on which a good oriental rug can look so beautiful.

Please browse our galleries, and don't hesitate to send us a note, or call for more information and personalized rug recommendations.


Continue to the next section: Persian Rugs
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