Antique Rug History

The general public tends to be pretty oblivious to the world of antique rugs and the culture and history surrounding Persian rugs in particular.

Antique rugs are so much more than just furnishings, or something to put on the floor. They are works of art that have a unique history woven into the knots. Learning about antique rugs can be just as demanding a discipline as learning painting history, or the history of ballet.

First of all, what does the term "antique" even refer to? obviously it means they're old rugs, that much is clear. But at what point does a rug classify as being old enough to be antique, not just vintage? Vintage rug usually refers to something from this century, while antique usually means at least a century or two old.  Antique also generally means that they are handmade and not produced in large factories, and that they used natural dyes. They reflect a mostly-eradicated practice of creating each piece as an individual work, instead of on an assembly line. Remnants of this way of production can still be found in Iran and other places, but for the most part these techniques have been supplanted by the cheaper, more efficient production of modern industry.

The unique, handmade designs reflected the socio-cultural details of the period they came from, and this only adds to their mystique and value as an important part of a historical narrative.