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The story behind the great Persian Rug
by Athole Murray Fleming
As the winter chill takes grip outside, what better way of keeping warm than sitting by an open fire being relaxed by the warm glow, reading a good book and stretching your legs to massage your weary feet on a luxurious rug by the hearth.
To create a room that is warm, intimate and cozy, you will need to consider the use of colours, fabrics and finishing touches such as carpets and rugs. How many of us vision the ideal cozy room with a roaring fire and hearth rug of many colours as the main focal point?
Almost a universal concept, the fire and rug have a strong role to play in creating such a room. A Persian carpet will not only give you that look and feel, you will be buying into a lot of history.
So, here is a little bit of background for you to consider when making that purchase.
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Based at 44 Princes Street in Perth, John AW Briggs are specialist importers of exquisite rugs from all around the Persian regions. Here we see Kathryn Briggs inspecting the natural dying process at Shiraz in Southern Iran, during one of her annual purchasing visits. Kathryn and her father John meet the local weavers and are always learning more about the history of the rugs making process. In fact Kathryn is the youngest ever person to receive a business visa for Iran.
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The historic bit..
Known as the home of the original oriental carpet, Iran (Persia) the oldest and once most powerful empire in the Middle East, stood at the crossroads of Eastern and Western civilizations. Under the Safavid Dynasty (1502-1736), Iran attained its artistic height. Court weaving, together with the arts of calligraphy, miniature painting, and tile work, flourished to exceptional heights. This brilliant era witnessed the development of highly qualified carpet factories in the cities of Kerman,
Isfahan, Kashan, Tabriz, and Herat. Iran is the genesis of most motifs, patterns and traditional colorations produced in rugs throughout the world today. Over the centuries, Persian carpets have become treasured heirlooms passed on from one generation to the next.
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Persian carpet exports began in the 16th century. Starting in the 1850s, American, English and German firms established new factories in Mashed, Tabriz, Kerman, and Sultanabad (now Arak), thereby ensuring the art form's continued development. Under Reza Shah Pahlavi, royal factories were established to utilize the finest materials and methods of manufacture.
Persian carpets and rugs have always been and still are an intrinsic part of Iranian culture and its people's daily lives. Indeed, carpets and rugs are in many cases the most valued possessions, and they are an integral part of an Iranian home. Thus, it is not surprising that current production levels throughout Iran equal those reached prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979. In fact, rugs are now even produced in areas where weaving was heretofore not practiced.
Furthermore, Persian carpets continue to boast very high quality standards and command a very brisk interest in domestic and international markets. While large city workshops were an important factor in the past, much of today's production is fashioned along cottage industry lines in smaller villages and towns.
Persian carpets are traditionally known for their tremendous variety in design, colour, size, and weave. Moreover, they are known for the uniqueness of each and every rug produced. Rugs are generally named after the village, town or district where they are woven or collected, or by the weaving tribe in the case of nomadic pieces. Each rug's particular pattern, palette, and weave are uniquely linked with the indigenous culture, and weaving techniques are specific to an
identifiable geographic area or nomadic tribe.
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Glenearn Flooring is a family runs business which has an extensive range of rugs influenced by Persian design as well as more contemporary themes. Their showroom is very large, and their huge range of flooring products should satisfy all your needs. Easy off road parking also makes visiting Glenearn Flooring a rather pleasantly stress-free expedition.
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Near the top of the Old High Street in Perth you will find Adams Scrim & McCabe's retails corner shop crammed full of carpet and rug designs to suite all tastes. Offering both flooring and upholstery services, they also sell window blinds and being located beside several other interior outlets makes a trip to the old High Street very worth while.
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