What is the difference between hand-knotted, hand-tufted, and machine-made?

The difference between a hand-knotted and a machine-made rug is like the difference between a Rolex and a Timex. There is no comparison! A hand-knotted rug is just that- each piece of the pile is knotted by hand onto the foundation of the rug. A machine-made rug does not have true knots. Rather, the pile is punched or glued into a base. You can see the difference between a hand-knotted and a machine-made rug when you look at the back of the rug. In a hand-knotted rug, the base of the knots are visible, whereas in a machine made rug you see a piece of fabric backing or a stiff grid. A tufted rug is by definition not a hand-knotted rug. Hand-tufted simply means that a person glued the pile to the foundation of the rug. Big deal!

What is KPSI?

KPPSI stands for knots per square inch. It is a measure of how tightly the rug is knotted. The higher the knot count, the longer it took to make the rug. A higher knot count makes it possible to create a more intricate design. Different types of rugs tend to have different knot counts. For example, tribal rugs tend to have lower knot counts from 50 to 100, and city rugs tend to have higher knot counts, anywhere from 80 to 400 KPSI or even higher. It is important to remember that knot count is one of many measures of quality. It is useful for comparing rugs within a category but not between categories. You cannot say that a Tabriz with a knot count of 200 is better than a Heriz with a knot count of 70 because they are two different kinds of rugs, each with their own unique merits.

How is an oriental rug made?

An oriental rug is made by tying rows of knots on a foundation which is stretched on a loom. They are not knots like the ones you use to tie your shoes, but special knots which are referred to as Turkish or Persian. The vertical pieces of the foundation are called warps and the horizontal ones are called wefts. The fringe that you see at the end of the rug is the end of the warps. Sometimes a weaver will braid the fringe or create a few inches of flatweave at the edge of the rug. After the rug is knotted, it is cut to make all the pile a uniform length. It is then washed and dried.

How long will my oriental rug last?

With proper care, an oriental rug can last for generations. In addition to regular vacuuming, you should have your rugs professionally cleaned once every five years. Keeping shoes off in the house and using rug pads underneath rugs will also enhance the life of your rugs. It is a good idea to reorient your rugs every now and then so that uneven wear patterns do not develop. The oldest intact rug on earth is the Pazyryk rug, found in Siberia and housed in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is estimated to be 1500 years old!

Where do oriental rugs come from?

While the exact location where rug-weaving originated remains a topic of academic debate, there is a rich history of rug-making in Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, and the former Soviet republics of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. Today many carpets are produced in India, Pakistan, and Romania, though this is mainly industrial production geared for foreign export rather than a continuing cultural tradition.

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