Persian rug: A Symbol of Iranian Culture and Art

Persian rug: A Symbol of Iranian Culture and Art

Do you care about home beauty and design? If you do, you should know how important rugs and carpets are. People put them on the floor and walk on them. They not only make a great view but also give you a warm feeling especially when the weather is cold, having something soft on the floor to walk on is the best thing. If you are interested in using rugs in your house, then you should know that Iranian traditional rugs are the most popular ones around the world. The art of rug weaving in Iran take place more than 2,500 years ago. But why Persian rugs are so popular among people? What makes the unique? If you are interested to know about the patterns and how these rugs are made and what makes them special, then keep reading. 

Weaving a Persian Rug            

          If we want to discuss the beauty and the reason for its popularity, we can start with the process of making it, which is made of all-natural materials instead of using synthetic ones; things as silk, wool, and natural vegetable and insect dyes. The process of making a Persian rug begins with grazing sheep. Persian rugs are traditionally spun from wool; after that, the woman then converts the wool into yarn and boils them with natural dyes that are made from plants or insects. For example, Akane, grape leaves, pomegranate skin, and indigo can produce red, blue, and yellow. The weaving process begins after the yarns have dried. The needed time to make a Persian rug depends on the size, patterns, and so on.

The Art of Weaving

             Weaving a rug is an art, in the same way, an artist conveys his/her true feelings by painting or singing a song, weavers can express their true feelings, or conveys their characters, mood, and other feelings, and that’s one of the things that makes the traditional Persian rugs special. It carries so many feelings in it. one of the interesting things about these antique rugs is that they might contain intentional mistakes, to show that human beings are imperfect and perfection is only for the true creator. Many people believe these little, intentional mistakes give this art a new meaning of beauty and open a window to new aspects of art.

Shapes and symbols

           The design of these beautiful rugs is mostly about the history of Iran, Persian culture, nature, people, animals, etc. of course each of these shapes has different meanings, for example, the picture of a flying eagle on the rug means honor, the sun means good luck, the leopard is the symbol of bravery, two diamonds means a man and a woman, tree of life is the symbol of the path to the heaven, and so on. According to the old and ancient beliefs, some of these geometric figures will protect the owners from misery and will cast away the devil.

Colors of Rugs

          Another eye-catching matter about these antique rugs is their colors. These rugs are full of different colors that are used beautifully in an order to transfer the feeling of comfort to the owners. Just like the shapes, colors also have different meanings, for instance, green is a holy color, which is used sparingly in the rugs, yellow is to cast away the devil, the red is happiness, courage, and wealth.

Patterns

             The next important thing in these rugs are patterns. There are different patterns such as Both, Vase, and Gul. Both patterns have the shape of a pear woven into the surface of the carpet with a flower arch. All patterns are put together to shape the Garden of Paradise. Weavers believe that carpets represent fertility. Vase-like patterns are common and resemble Greek vases. There may be a central vase, or the design may be displayed multiple times. In the Gul pattern, a large flower is in the center, which is often a henna plant, and the smaller versions of the flowers surround the large center flower. The most traditional designs usually have a red base color, the pattern dominated by a central medallion with small patterns and borders around it.

           Now that you’ve learned about traditional Persian rugs, you know they are more than just simple rugs, they are the symbol of art that carry so many meanings. Everything that is used in these rugs, such as colors, patterns, and shapes, all represents things like happiness, bravery, wealth, holiness, and protection from evil things. Today, rug weaving is the most well-known handicraft in Iran, and for the reasons mentioned above, they are used in palaces, mansions, big famous buildings, and museums all over the world, an antique Persian rug is among the most valuable possession.