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| Passion Investments: Antiques: Masterpieces Underfoot |
Geography Lessons
Debra Ryono
09/01/2004
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Antique Oriental rugs reflect the artistry of a tribe, town or even an entire
region. However, most experts agree on six primary classifications.:
• Persian: When it comes to carpets, we often think of Persian as
synonymous with Oriental. Not so. Persian rugs, a type of Oriental rug, feature
lively, intricate, curvilinear designs with asymmetrical knots that are so tight
and made of such fine thread (usually wool) that the result feels silky.
• Caucasian: Rugs from the tribes of the Caucasus Mountains are coarser,
often with fewer than 80 knots per square inch. Patterns are more geometric and
abstract, and they are among the hottest-selling rugs right now. Taste is not
the only reason the Caucasian rugs vary so much from the Persian rugs. Some
experts hold that the tribes could not afford the finer materials available to
the Persians.
* Turkish: Broad, static patterns tend to be the hallmark of this type
of carpet, which was frequently designed for mosques or the homes of nobility.
Gold, yellow, blue and green are favored colors.
• Turkistan: Made by nomadic Turkmen tribes in Central Asia (Afghanistan
to western China) these rugs are generally smaller than other Orientals and have
dark-red coloring, with blue, white and black accents. The favored design is an
octagon known as an elephant foot.
• China: Yellow, blue and white are common colors in these rugs, in
contrast to the reds and browns typical of other Oriental carpets. The type of
knot also is different.
• India: Carpets were less important in India than elsewhere, because
the climate made cloth floor coverings unsuitable. Indeed, some experts do not
include Indian rugs as a primary type of Oriental textile. However, rugs made in
India are among the most extravagant, sometimes crafted with more than 2,000
knots per square inch. A fragment of a Mughal court rug with more than 2,500
knots per square inch hangs in the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. Back to Main Article: Masterpieces Underfoot
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