A beautiful rug can add interest and intrigue to any home. It adds texture, color, and inspiration to an otherwise plain space. Of course, we believe this is even more true when you add a Persian or Oriental Rug to your room. The designs these types of rugs offer can truly help transform a room. However, this raises a question: what is the difference between an Oriental Rug and a Persian Rug? Let’s briefly look at each type of rug and then compare and contrast the differences.
First, what is an Oriental Rug?
An Oriental Rug is a rug that is made in Central to East Asia. They earned the name Oriental Rug because this region was once referred to as The Orient. So, whether a rug is made in China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, or Iran it can be classified as an Oriental Rug.
Let’s talk about design. Oriental Rugs have unmistakable designs that set them apart from other rugs. They usually have distinctive curved lines in their layout. In addition, they normally incorporate plant life and animals as main themes in addition to references to the weaver’s culture. They feature contrasting colors and have a thicker pile than most other rugs due to their hand-weaved nature.
Next, what is a Persian Rug?
When we talk about Persian Rugs, we are referring to rugs made in regions of Persia (modern-day Iran). Persian Rugs have many subtypes based on where the rug artisan lives or hails as their place of origin.
Persian Rugs date back thousands of years and incorporate motifs such as medallions, geometric patterns, tribal patterns, and even religious imagery. The patterns on the rugs are normally symmetrical.
As we mentioned, the design often reflects the region of Iran which depends on the location of origin, whether it be Persia or Iran. Persian Rugs normally are made with warmer colors such as sage, red and golden yellow.
So, what’s the difference between an Oriental rug and a Persian rug? Did you notice that we listed Iran as a place of origin for both styles of rugs? Persian Rugs will come from Iran exclusively whereas Oriental Rugs can come from Iran but will hail from other Asian countries as well. The primary differences besides geography tend to come down to two categories: design and pile.
Persian Rugs use warm tones along with one of four possible geometric stylings. Oriental Rugs are similar, but will also incorporate flowers and animals which Persian Rugs lack.
The knotting on an Oriental Rug is smaller and tighter which crates a denser pile. Persian rugs, on the other hand, incorporate an asymmetrical pattern into the weaving.
Which rug is right for my home?
No matter which rug you choose, at the end of the day you can rest assured knowing your rug will not fail you. Both the Oriental and Persian Rug are incredibly high quality and will hold up over time, bringing color and intrigue to any room you place them in.
Would you like to add one of our Oriental or Persian Rugs to your home’s decor? Then stop by our showroom at 7215 Smith Corners Blvd in Charlotte, and shop online for Persian Rugs HERE or Oriental Rugs HERE.
