Identifying Hand Woven Persian Rugs

Our goal is to better understand rug weaves and how to identify them. Note that the term “weave” does not refer to design, it refers to how the knot patterns on the back of a rug form into a unique and recognizable pattern. Later on, this pattern recognition will help us identify the regions they were made in. The two examples below show two rugs woven with identical designs, with a close examination of the knot formations from the back of the rugs, it becomes evident that they are very different weaves. It is this difference in knot formation which we’re looking to recognize and identify.

Ignore the design and color and focus on the knot formation (i.e., weave). The weave refers to the knot formation on the back of a rug. As you look at the close up image, look for similarities in how the knot and weft form a pattern. By looking at all the images in this section, it helps contextualize how to look for these “knot formation” patterns. Next step is to review rugs from the same regions and review the back picture and look for similarities.

Below are sample pages from the section….