Fragments of ancient rugs found in the Tarim Basin, which includes modern day northwestern India, East Turkmenistan, southern Russia, western China and Mongolia suggest that Asia was the first to produce rugs. Thus the term Oriental rugs refer to those created anywhere in Asia.
Buying an Oriental rug is quite a task, especially if you are buying it for the first time. There are various factors to be considered. To begin with the size of the room for which you are buying plays a pivotal role. For dining rooms the size of the table may be considered, while for bedrooms the area in front of the bed may to be considered. Quality of rugs depends on knots per square inch; higher number of knots will guarantee a clearer and sharper design. Quite the same manner in which you judge your digital photos by dpi. Some experts also suggest that you look out for imperfections in an Oriental rug to judge its authenticity. This may sound strange but it is said that weavers make intentional mistakes on a perfect rug, as they believe that only the Supreme Being can make something that is perfect.
Oriental rugs are more durable and environment-friendly than mass-produced machine-made rugs, as they are made of natural fibers like cotton, wool or silk that last longer and as these are handmade each strand has been tied individually for greater strength and consistency.
Weaving of Oriental rugs is a delicate and tedious process. Mainly two types of knots are used ? the symmetrical Turkish knot or the asymmetrical Persian knot. The number of knots per square inch may vary from 16 to over 500. Horizontal or vertical looms are used to weave the rugs. Horizontal looms are preferred for weaving smaller rugs while the vertical ones are used for bigger ones. Depending on the quality and size of the rug it may take from only a month to several years to complete.
As Oriental rugs can be a costly affair it is important that you make sure that you are buying an original one. You may make use of experts while buying and some rug dealers also provide a certificate of authentication with their rugs.
