Arakelian Oriental Rugs of Connecticut - Definition of a Handwoven Rug

The Art of Oriental Rugs

Definition

How Rugs Are Produced

Wools and Dyes

Design Elements

Types and Origins

Common Sizes

Arakelian Oriental Rugs
1315 Whalley Ave.
New Haven, CT 06515
USA

203.389.2171
800.411.3233 (CT only)
Fax 203.389.4135
Email us

Definition of an Oriental Rug

An authentic oriental rug is a handknotted carpet from the Middle or Far East.

Authentic oriental rugs that are exceptions to the handknotted carpet are:

The family of flat weaves, commonly the Soumak and Kilim, that are woven on looms, not handknotted. These do not have a pile and therefore do not require shearing.
Needlepoint or Aubousson weave carpets are hand done on a frame but stitched with a needle.

Please note:
Throughout this Web site, the terms handmade, handknotted, and handwoven are used interchangably. All refer to an authentic oriental rug.

A Work in Progress-This loom, used for demonstration purposes, will be a 2x3 Persian Qum when completed.


Persian knot	Turkish knot	Kelim weaving	Needlepoint Weave (corner turned back shows the needle work)

Knot count alone does not indicate the value of a rug. More knots per square inch can mean a very fine quality rug, but many other factors need to be taken into consideration when judging quality: complexity of design; number of colors; dying techniques; integrity of the materials; time taken to produce the rug.