Antique Rugs

Antique rugs, including the very popular and sought after Oriental rugs, are made with great care and were often hand made by women in the past. Although they are no longer exclusively made by women, all original antique rugs are still hand woven. The most popular antique rugs come from Anatolia, China, Turkmen, India, Persia, and Caucasus. Here we take a look at some of these different antique rugs.

Some Types of Antique Rugs

1) Anatolian Rugs: The antique rugs made in Anatolia (modern day Turkey) are known for their exquisite beauty and amazing designs and colors. These rugs are often considered as a collector’s item and have made their way into collections of Antique Rugs the world over. Anatolian rugs can be very expensive, as can all things antique. These antique rugs can further be classified according to the particular region of Anatolia where they are made. Anatolian antique rugs include:

Ladik rugs: These rugs come from a region called Ladik and are typified by their generous use of Tulips as a central theme as well as in the borders of the antique rugs. Vibrant reds, brilliant blues, and sunburst yellows, are the colors most common to Ladik antique rugs.

Konya rugs: The Konya area of Anatolia is famous for using geometric shapes in their rug designs. Paired or in rows, polygons are the main shape used in Konya antique rugs, with shield motifs appearing in the borders.

Kars rugs: Most of the antique rugs made in Eastern Anatolia, took their inspiration from Caucasian and Persian rugs, a noticeable exception being the Kars rugs. These rugs introduced the use of dragons as designs for antique rugs and along with the Caucasus region, have made the antique dragon carpets of old, very renowned.

2) Turkmen Rugs: These antique rugs come from the region of West Turkestan. This area was very famous for all its different types of weavings used as cot covers, saddle cloths, bags, tents, and especially the antique rugs and carpets known as the Hali or Khali. The beliefs and the way of life of the Turkmen people have all influenced their weavings and their antique rugs. The Turkmen rugs are considered as a work of art, and the designs used in the rugs have been created and passed along from generation to generation. These antique rugs used the hand knotting techniques as well as the flat weave techniques, which were more practical for the nomadic way of Turkmen life. An antique prayer rug from Turkmen, known as the Namazlyk, usually has a niche design, which is very recognizable and famous.

3) Chinese Rugs: These antique rugs were usually made of cotton basis and had a pile of either wool or silk. The asymmetrical system of knotting is generally used in Chinese rugs, with a medium density of knots per square inch of rug. The use of cotton for the foundation, and the medium density of the knots, gave the Chinese antique rugs coarseness, due to which the pile was cut a bit higher than other antique rugs so as to hide this coarseness. The antique Chinese rugs were squarer in shape instead of the rectangular shape of the modern variety. Different types of antique Chinese rugs include:

Ningxia Rugs: These antique rugs came from an area called Ningxia, and are deemed as the most classic of all Chinese rugs and also the most antique. These rugs were considered as the best antique rugs China had to offer, so much so that all antique rugs from China came to be known as either Ningxia or not.

Baotau Rugs: These antique rugs were made only at the turn of the 20 th century, and were typically small rugs with exquisite craftsmanship. The use of stylized patterns, natural landscapes, and human figures, in the designs of these antique rugs was very common.