Color

The primary color is the prominent color of the rug excluding the border and if applicable, the central medallion. Green is a holy color in Persian rugs. Finding large traditional style green rugs is rare. We recommend searching Modern rugs for this color.

Within the primary color selection, there will be rugs that vary in shade. (eg. a blue carpet could range from light blue to navy).

Style

Refers to both the design and construction techniques used to create the carpet. Often, the style name is derived from the city of origin. If you are new to shopping for Persian rugs we recommend selecting Traditional or Modern style only for best results.

Size

Our sizes are indicated in feet and inches and generally do not include the fringes.

Pattern

We recommend selecting either style or pattern, not both for best results.

Age

Age is an approximation of when the carpet was woven. Generally, like fine wine, the older the rug, the more it appreciates in value.

Material

Each rug is made only with natural fibres including wool, silk and cotton. Generally, each strand is hand-knotted onto a fine cotton foundation. These materials are durable and long lasting.

Shape

This is the actual shape of the rug.

Foundation

Foundation is the material that makes up the base of the rug, comprised of crossed yarns that allow the pile to be knotted through it.

RAJ

Raj is the count of knots in a linear 7cm. Often, a higher number indicates higher durability and quality.

Condition

Refers to the qualitative state of the rug which ranges from excellent to good or poor. An excellent rug may be either new or an older rug that has never been used. A poor condition rug is still a high quality product but may have a lower pile making it thinner than other persian carpets.

Knotting Time

Based on the knot counts, intricacy and size of the rug, Gansuninternational.com, can determine the amount of time that went into weaving the rug. Generally, the more time dedicated to weaving it, the higher the cost of the rug.

Category

Rugs are made by different types of weavers. The primary classifications are Masterweave or Masterworkshop, City or Workshop, Village, and Tribal or Nomadic.

KPSI

This abbreviation indicates the number of knots per square inch. The higher the figure the better the carpet, although some well-respected Styles, e.g. Heriz, never have a high knot count. This is because the weaver has used very thick yarns.

Origin

This is the region where the rug was woven. Mirzapur,Bhadohi, Dist,State Uttar Pradesh, India

Pile

The pile of a carpet or rug is simply the material knotted into the foundation to form a patterned, coloured 'thickness' on the fair side. Knots are mostly Persian according to the area, or the habits of the weaver.

This pile is either wool or silk, or a mixture of both, and is usually dyed in one or more colors before weaving. When the weaving is completed the pile is then shaven to the desired length. Some pieces are washed to give varying effects by altering the colors and/or the lustre, whereas others are clipped or 'embossed' although this is not typical of Persian styles.

Hand spun wool refers to the tradition wool that is spun into yarn by human hand versus machine.

Thickness

this refers to the depth of the carpet to the nearest 1/3 of an inch. Handmade area rugs vary in the thickness of pile with each style of rug. A Gabbeh, for example, has a deep, thick pile and a Nain will have a low pile that is soft the touch. The pile density of a handmade Persian rug is not an indication of the quality of the rug, but rather a result of the style.

Signed Original

Just like fine art, this handmade original has been signed by the weaver to indicate that this is one of his best hand-woven masterpieces. These signed rugs are generally considered to be more valuable which can be reflected in their price. This seal verifies that the weaver has signed the rug which is usually located in the top of the border at one end of the rug.

Woven

Handmade rugs constantly fascinate by their detail. A weaver must concentrate fiercely to achieve uniformity in the simplest design. Knot by knot, he or she tries for a regularity of pattern, in pursuit of perfection.

Machine-made rugs may have good wool and good colors, but lack the degree of personal involvement. No one laboriously tied each knot, trying hard to follow a pattern of details. A machine can be programmed to produce a row of dots, or a row of squares, and every one will be identical. There is a complete absence of that thrill in seeing where one square is eleven knots wide, whereas all the others are ten. Or the row of twenty or thirty white birds, yet here, third one from the left, is a black bird. It is the intrinsic personality of the weaver coming through, that striving for perfection that demonstrates the human effort and involvement so vividly in every handmade rug.

The techniques for weaving a hand-made rug have remained basically unchanged for some two thousand years.

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For Gansun International,
Sunil Shukla/B. Ganesh