Wool Persian rugs : Great process from animal to oriental rugs… People from various regions – tribes, villages, cities – use different designs and materials. Wool is, by far, the most common material used in Persian rugs because those rugs are the most durable and marketable.
Using the wool from the sheep that is dyed, spun, and then woven into Persian wool rugs and other useful items, the finished product is then taken to the bazaar in the various Iranian cities where they are sold throughout the world.
The cold mountain climate provided an added advantage in that the wool was finer and had longer fibers than wool from sheep in warmer climates.
So.. Iranian cold mountains provide great wool Persian rugs
Woolen Persian rugs and carpets are very durable and the pile/knots are so tightly woven that it is very difficult, if not impossible for dogs and cats to destroy them. The myth is that Persian rugs are delicate. Woolen rugs are not; however, silk rugs are
Moreover, the natural persian wool rugs add durability for high-traffic areas, softness and elegant, earthy natural color to the mix.
Wool for persian rugs is classified into three categories:
1. Live wool
2. Dead wool
3. Used wool
Live wool is wool sheared from living sheep. Dead wool is removed from sheep’s hides chemically. Used wool is recycled from old cloth, redyed and used in low grade rugs.
Good live wool is durable, and soft; it retains its lanolin and essential oils giving the rug resilience. Good wool captures the light and diffuses it among its fibers. So wool persian rugs woven with live wool looks great.
Dead wool is taken from slaughtered animals by chemicals and is dry, brittle and abrasive. The colors are cloudy; light is reflected off the surface of the wool. Such wool Persian rugs and carpets do not wear well and have no resilience.
Intensive use of a good wool Persian carpet over the course of time gradually polishes the wool and the natural oils come to the surface lending a wonderful sheen. In fact, an older rug sometimes looks as though it is made of silk instead of wool.
What one wants to avoid is “dead wool” taken off an already butchered sheep with a caustic lye type substance in a wool Persian carpet. This wool is very dry to the touch, has a dull cast and very inexpensive for the weavers to purchase.
Wool Persian Rugs woven with this type of wool do not wear well and are often sold for next to nothing which is exactly what they are worth. A Persian wool rug woven with excellent wool can easily survive 50 years or more with very little wear if cared for properly.
Good quality wool used in woven Persian wool rug will actually improve the more it is walked on and will developed an antique patina or sheen that is highly sought after by rug collectors.
The moral of the story is to touch the wool, rub the palm of your hand across the face of the rugs.
Compare it to another rug..
It should not feel overly dry or stiff. Pick the rug up by the edge and see how much it weighs! A hard wearing rug will have some “body” to it. This of course, would not apply to silk as the weight of a silk rug is much lighter. Silk will feel cold to the touch and will have a distinctive shine! Examine the rug carefully by walking around it and viewing it from every possible angle.
Glossy wool often reflects light and sometimes on Persian wool rugs woven with hand spun wool you will have a dark and a light side. If the oriental wool rug is old, one would look for any signs of moth damage where the pile has been eaten away. With moth eggs on the backside of the rug one will see little white lines.
This is not good as the wool on the back may have been eaten so that when one vacuums the front of the rug, the wool comes out! If the wool Persian rug is new, moth damage would be most unusual and is not a concern
return oriental persian rugs from wool persian rugs