When it comes to Persian rugs motifs and designs, weavers often create patterns from memory since most rug makers are born into the trade from childhood the designs become second nature, however many patterns are just variations of similar classic designs and are not replicas anything but the creations of the weavers as they work. This is true of geometric shapes more so than the designs of striped indoor outdoor rugs that are curved or vine-like or floral or have medallions. The truly elaborate motifs that are traditional have now been put onto computer and these create perfect antique replicas. Fortunately the hand woven and knotted rugs are still the ones most prized and the most expensive. The motifs that are most well known are the Boteh, Gul, Herati, Mina-Khani, Rosette and Shah Abbasi
The boteh design for striped indoor outdoor rugs is the Farsi word for flower bud or palm leaf or cluster of leaves that can also include shapes that we see as a flame or a teardrop or pear and yet is most widely called the paisley pattern because the Scottish town of Paisley imitated the pattern that was found from a Kashmir shawl with a boteh design. I used to think it had been the other way around. But next time you see a carpet with paisleys you might be inclined to give it a second look.
Gul striped indoor outdoor rug come from the Farsi word for flower and therefore it is common striped indoor outdoor rug motif, but it is argued that the word gul is also the Turkish word for tribe, and therefore a family emblem and not a flower. That would explain why not all gul rug patterns are floral!
Herati striped indoor outdoor rugs are elaborate patterned rugs that come from the Farsi word for fish –
Mahi, however there are many gorgeous motifs in this category that are flowers centered in a diamond with curving leaves that stretch beyond the diamond shapes. Many of these striped indoor outdoor rugs are made in Heart, Afghanistan and therefore the name we know today.
Mina-Khani striped indoor outdoor rugs use a type of pattern that is repeated over a rug and often has a central palmetto and vines and eight flowers in a lattice design that might also be described as the way you might see flowers or fruit if standing above them. The rugs from Tehran, Belouch and Tabriz often have this design.
Rosette striped indoor outdoor rugs will commonly have a circular pattern of designs that are based round a focal or central medallion or motif such as those found in the Nain striped indoor outdoor rugs.
Shah Abbasi is a common pattern of the Tabriz striped indoor outdoor rugs derived from the word for men’s cloaks which is Abaas that were woven in the city of Nain where these rugs originated. The cloaks didn’t do very well, so weavers switched from cloak making to rug making and used the same motifs – usually vines and curvy shapes of flowers and animals intertwined in complex layered patterns.
How are these Persian rugs made? Well, the weft is passed through the bottom warp to form a base and then loosely piled knots of wool are tied around adjacent warps to form the striped indoor outdoor rug designs. It’s very time consuming because a knot count can be up to 550 knots per square inch. It’s almost a crime to walk on such a rug!
There are looms for weaving rugs also and the main function of the loom is to provide tension. There are horizontal looms which are used by nomadic peoples and produce small striped indoor outdoor rugs vertical looms that can produce unlimited lengths of rug, which is where runners are often made. In Iran, the Tabriz loom, which has a fixed upper beam and a moveable lower one, is the most common. Tension is created by adding wedges into slots along the sides and weavers position is raised as the rug is woven.
Many of the carpet styles and motifs and knots and patterns as well as the overall rugs themselves are derived from the names of the cities where the technique or the motif originated. That is why carpets are named Abadeh, Ardabil, Herat, Heriz or Hariz or Heris, Nain, Shiraz, Tabriz, Veramin or Zabol just to name a few of the most well known centers from which Persian come from.
Another famous floor covering are the Gabbeh rugs, which are traditional tribal carpets made in the Zagros region of northwestern Iran, and are considered natural fiber carpets since the term gabbeh is exactly that – natural.
These wonderful wool striped indoor outdoor rugs are great for any home that is looking for new contemporary striped indoor outdoor rugs because each carpet is unique depicting women’s lives, emotions and stories of what surrounds them but translated into geometric and asymmetrical patterns that are akin to modern styles and avant-garde designs. These are artistic and individual masterpieces woven with thick pile wool although the knot count is low, they are of high quality and very coveted in the western world.
These gabbeh rugs are often seen being sold by discount wool striped indoor outdoor rugs sellers and they are not genuine from the women of the Zagros area.
Many of these fakes are made in India or China and may be immediately identified because they are not good quality wool, have been dyed with chemicals and not the natural tints used by Zagros women and usually have a white fringe that the originals don’t have.
If you want a genuine gabbeh wool striped indoor outdoor rug then a good place to find them online is gabbeh.com. there are many expensive varieties that appear original, but if they say made in India they cannot possibly be originals no matter how expensive they are.
However a true Gabbeh striped indoor outdoor rug will cost no les than about $1,000 and most are closer to $2000, $3000 or more.
Here are some Gabbeh to choose from:
- Amalehbaft
- Basic Gabbeh
- Kashkoli
- Kelim
- Luribaft
- Oushak
- Shekarlu
- Sumak
If you seek hand tufted wool striped indoor outdoor rugs in a modern, geometric or contemporary pattern you will probably be able to find it in a Persian carpet style. These oriental rugs can be large enough to fill a room, or simply be hallway runners or accent rugs. Because of their strength and durability they are sturdy enough to be kitchen rugs in a modern home with lots of foot traffic.
Contemporary striped indoor outdoor rugs, made in villages and cities in Iran and Afghanistan and Turkey and many other parts of the world, are natural rugs, created by men and women who have made wool carpet weaving and knotting, not merely a profession, but their life. Most Persian striped indoor outdoor rugs online have come from the hands that have perfected the art of creating area carpets and contemporary rugs that blend well with any modern decor.