Bijan’s Oriental Rugs
Hand-Made Oriental Rugs, selected with care and sold with Integrity.

Investing in Oriental Rugs is Like Investing in Anything!
First Rule:  Buy Low.

Hand-Made Oriental Rugs at Affordable Prices.

• A brief rug history lesson
  Throughout the Middle East and Central Asia, the intricate and exacting art of weaving oriental rugs has been practiced and revered since ancient times.  While beautiful and interesting in themselves, these carpets are also thought to have reflected some very practical concerns of day to day life.
  Many cultural historians believe that the art of hand-knotting carpets with pile originated among nomadic peoples as a means of imitating the texture and warmth qualities of animal pelts.  Yet whatever factors may have contributed to its initial development, the art of rug making quickly assumed a central role in the aesthetic and historic identity of the entire region.
  Nevertheless, in the larger scheme of history, relatively few rugs are known to have survived more than 500 years. Many of the oldest are now displayed in museums throughout the world.  Still it is not uncommon to find rugs over 100 years old that remain in usable condition, and some that even today are being walked upon great great great grandchildren of the original owners.
  Whatever the reasons for the making of these finely hand woven Oriental Rug Treasures; for warmth, recording tales, or enshrining the symbols of an ancient culture, hand made oriental rugs have been highly valued, continuously traded, and sought after for many generations. Ii is interesting to note that the techniques nd tools of rug weaving have stayed remarkably the same over time, so even recently woven hand made rugs can vividly evoke the character and romance of fabled historic pieces.
• Creating an oriental rug
  Creating a hand-woven rug is a complicated task, requiring a variety of distinct skills and techniques. Needless to say, the process is both labor intensive and time consuming.
  First, the raw wool must be washed, carded, and spun into yarn.  The yarns are then carefully dyed. The range and subtlety of the yarn colors, and their interplay in a given design, are obviously crucial to the appeal and unique character of the finished rug. Along with the actual weaving and execution of a chosen pattern, the dyeing process is traditionally entrusted only to the most skillful craftsmen.
  From the dawn of rug making until relatively recent times, the only available dyes were derived from animal and vegetal sources. While often quite vibrant initially, some of these dyes were inclined to fade over time. In many cases, this effect would enhance the harmony of the color palette and a soft vintage quality to the rug.  Some natural dyes, however, could weaken the wool fiber and result in uneven patterns of wear and color intensity over time.
  Beginning in the 19th century, chemical formulation began to replace natural dyes in commercial usage.  Chemical dyes gave the weaver a vast  and infinitely varied color palette, from the richest and deepest jewel tones to the most delicate and subtle pastels.  Equally important, chemical dyes are more fade resistant and will not compromise the fibers of the yarns.
  Once the yarns for a rug are spun and dyed, the loom is prepared for the weaving process. Historically, nomadic tribes used horizontal looms which rest on the ground or, occasionally, transportable vertical looms.  Today, most quality rugs are made for export are woven on large “roller beam” looms. Whatever types of loom is used, the basic principles of rug weaving remain essentially the same.  The vertical warp threads are tied between the loom’s upper and lower beams, and define the rug’s length.  The horizontal weft threads are woven between the alternating warps across the rug, and define the rug’s width.
  In a knotted oriental rug, tiny threads (wool) are tied onto the warp, creating the pattern or design. The weft threads anchor and align the rows of knots. When the knots are later cut, they stand away from the warp and weft backing to create the velvety pile of finished piece.
  

  Parts of a Hand Knotted Rug

• Types of Oriental Rugs
  There are many varieties of construction that define rugs types and characteristics. Flat-weave, needlepoint, hand knotted, hand tufted, hand hooked, and machine made are just some of many classifications.
  A hand knotted rug is with fine threads of colored yarn that are hand knotted onto a warp and weft backing and then sheared to create a pile.  There are a variety of actual knot styles, among which are Persian and Turkish knots.
  

  Persian and Turkish Knots

  
  A flat weave rug is constructed without a pile.  Here, colored weft yarns are woven through the warps to create a pattern. There are numerous varieties of flat-weaves: Killims dhurries, and soumaks, are just a few.  Needlepoint is another type of flat-weave that is created by weaving of the colored yarns through a pre-made scrim, or grid like backing.
  Aubussons and Savonneries, are much like needlepoint in appearance, but are created by weaving of thread through a warp and weft construction. This technique is considered the most refined and precise form of flat-weave rug making.  Increasingly, the terms Savonnerie and Aubusson have today become largely generic terms for certain French floral motifs of rugs in virtually any construction.  The word Sovonnerie means soap factory, and recalls the original function of the building where Louis XIII set up the first royal school for rug weavers. The King created this school as much for his own love of the carpes and fine furnishings as he did to encourage French manufacture and economic growth.  The designation “Aubusson” refers to the province in France wher this distinct weaving style developed.
  Hand tufted rugs and hand hooked rugs are produced in much the same way. A tufting gun that works much like an oversize sewing needle is used to push and pull threads of yarn through a scrim; a pre-woven grid foundation. With hooked rug, the loops of the yarn are left intact to form a characteristically “knobby” pile.  In a tufted rug, the tops of the loops are sheared to expose the thread ends for a softer and plusher pile.
  

  Flat-weave Construction Hand Tufted and Hand Hooked Rug Construction

  
  Machine made carpets are woven on mechanical looms.  There are numerous types of mechanical looms, each with specific capacities as to the type of designs.
• Knots Counts
  The knot or line count is a measurement of the density of the knots that make up the rug’s pile.  Generally, the higher the knot count, the higher the quality of the rug. However, this is not an absolute rule. There are other significant factors that will also affect the overall quality and aesthetic appeal of a particular rug.  These include the skill with which a given design has been executed, the balance and subtlety of the color palette, the quality of the wool, and various finishing details.
  The line count method is primarily used for Chinese hand woven oriental rugs.  The number of lines or knots per linear foot determines the line count.  Qualities range from 50 to over 300 lines per linear foot.
  Rugs hand woven in India are described by a somewhat more complicated method.  A rug may be referred to as a 9/60 (nine-sixty).  The 9 refers to the number of knots for every 4.5 inches in length.  In effect, a 9/60 construction would yield 135 knots per square inch.
  Whatever the count, you can readily see the density of the knotting of a rug by looking at the back of the rug.  Each knot shows itself as a single square on the back of the rug. Here, the difference between a 200 knots per square inch and a 400 knots per square inch is usually readily apparent, since the knots in the 200 knots per square inch rug are  much larger and hence less densely packed.

  Hand made oriental rug knot count chart Chinese oriental rugs Term Knots per square foot of width Knots per square foot of length Knots per square inch 70 lines 70 70 34 80 lines 80 80 44 90 lines 90 90 56 120 lines 120 120 100 160 lines 160 160 177 200 lines 200 200 277 260 lines 260 260 469 300 lines 300 300 625 Oriental rugs from India Term Knots per 9/10 inch of width Knots per 4-1/2 inch of length Knots per square inch 4/25 4 25 25 5/40 5 40 50 9/160 9 60 135 12/60 12 60 135 14/70 14 70 265 16/80 16 80 385 Oriental rugs from Pakistan Term Knots per inch of width Knots per inch of length Knots per square inch 9/16 9 16 144 10/20 10 20 200 11/22 11 22 242 12/12 12 12 144 14/14 14 14 196 16/18 16 18 288