Older than Dirt

Issue Date: June 11, 2007, Posted On: 7/9/2007

By Marc Henderson

Despite how beautiful bare hardwood flooring looks to the naked eye, there will most likely come a time that you wish to curl up on a nice soft surface either in front of the fireplace or to play a board game with your children. Thankfully, hundreds of years ago, such a solution was created. Area rugs are a prominent place in many modern day homes, as they give personality, style, texture and color to a room. However, what is taken today as simply one more piece of decor in a home that is already adorned with many decorations, the history of rugs and rug making spans hundreds of years.

What was originally a craft, completed mostly by nomadic individuals, later became a coveted form of artwork. This skill was highly valued by nobility, and as a result, specific locations for royal weaving were established by some dynasties. This support of the art form by prominent figures can certainly be attributed as to why and how so many pieces of weaving have made their way into famous galleries and museums. Spectacular ancient rugs have surfaced from regions spanning India to Iran. With each particular rug comes some form of historical meaning, if not only to demonstrate what was popular at the time. As one evaluates rugs from various regions and various time periods, the influence of one weaving style over another can be recognized. Furthering the art form was the progression from original dyes to synthetic dyes, then back to the original dyes, only to be followed by the return again to modern day synthetic. It seems that the first synthetic dyes to surface were criticized for fading too rapidly, which was the catalyst for returning to the dyes previously used.

Interestingly, in the timeline of rug weaving, periods of absence can be identified during significant battles and wars. This occurred during the French Revolution, as well as during the first and second World Wars. However, these types of events do not play a critical role for all weavers. For example, African and Native American weavers have been perfecting the skill over many years for their own personal use and benefit. It is the weavers that exist to supply rugs to the western marketplace that are most affected by worldly events. Logically, demand for their product can increase or decrease depending on many factors.

What makes these area rugs so exceptional is that there does not exist a standard or status quo for many of the piece’s aspects. For example, in terms of size alone, a rug can vastly range from a small accent piece to an extremely large floor centerpiece. Not to mention, the shape could be oval, rectangular, square, or even have taken on an unconventional form. Rectangular rugs do command the title of most common; however, they are not necessarily the best option for all buyers. Coming in second, in terms of popularity, is the runner. This is a long and rectangular rug that often adorns hallways or staircases. Although this is the common use for runners in many parts of the western world, other cultures use the long rugs as a serving place for feasts. In this scenario, the prominent figure would sit at the end of the rug and all others would be seated on the sides, with the food selection being placed down the center. Other rug shapes have also made their way through time. Ancient round rugs are very rare, as are ancient oval and square rugs.

Obviously, variations in rugs do not end with shape, as color and pattern design most certainly should be considered when selecting a piece for the home. After examining a few rugs, one will notice that most have a distinct background color and a distinct border color. These two elements will be important when matching the rug to the colors already being utilized in a space. Now of course, most rugs are comprised of many different colors and hues, thus making the selection process quite difficult. Easing the complexity, most rugs follow some sort of a standard layout design. For example, some rectangular rugs have either a symmetrical pattern throughout or a center focal point. Typically, a rug's pattern can be characterized by one of three styles: pictorial, geometric or curvilinear. Pictorial is pretty self-explanatory, with the rug being adorned with most likely either people or animals. Geometric is differentiated from curvilinear by the use of straight lines as opposed to curved lines.

The selection process continues tirelessly to include other elements such as the fiber used, which is often called the pile, to the weave used, which discriminates between the various types of knots. It is important to give ample time and consideration when selecting a rug, for the piece will most likely last the owner a very long time. Even a new rug will bring to the home a wealth of history, as rug making has enduring countless years of existence.