What are Kirman Rugs?

Kirman Rugs are one of the oldest Persian carpets still in demand worldwide due to its elegance, craftsmanship from master weavers and artistic designs. Persian carpets have a history of its own, in ancient Arabian fairy tales persian carpets played an important role and sometimes been pictured as flying carpets. These are the only oriental rugs and carpets still maintaining the Persian tradition using the finest wools. Kirman is a province in southeast Iran close to an oasis called dasht-e-lut and has been a major centre for carpet weaving since ancient times with a population of around 350,000 inhabitants. In the third centaury Marco Polo defined Kirman rugs as marvelous and feasts for the eyes. One of the finest Persian rugs and carpets comes out of Kirman made from high quality carmania wool and has consistently gained the reputation for its quality and imaginative designs. In the twentieth century it become the finest and the most expensive rugs and carpets worldwide with major companies setting up offices there.

The design of Kirman rugs are unique. It is woven with a double wefted foundation of cotton and tied with a Persian knot and the wool used for the pile is of very high quality with high knot counts. Kirman rugs have tight foundations and Persian knots. The quality of rugs and carpets depends on the knots which vary for each Persian carpet. The average knots varies from 120 KPSI to 842 KPSI.Since Kirman is located in a desert where flowers don’t grow the weavers adopted the pattern of flowers and palmettes in all their designs till the eighteenth century. Older carpets were made of cotton foundations. During the nineteenth century weavers started using lattice design patterns with small compartments. One of the famous Kirman rugs being displayed at Victoria and Albert Museum in London is the design of a painting done by a French artist Antoine Watteau. The rugs and carpets from Kirman are the most expensive today with a price range from 8 to 25 dollars per square foot. All Kirman rugs and carpets can be easily recognized by its red ground color and the design is dominated by a centrally placed medallion with wide borders filled with different flowers. Kirman rugs and carpets are weaved in workshops in a controlled manner and weavers follow a pattern drawn on a millimeter squared paper and several weavers work on a single carpet.

Persian rugs and carpet should be purchased after studying the origin and history of the rugs and carpets so that when you place the rug or carpet you get an elegant and cozy feeling in your home. The materials and quality should be checked and the knot density which is very important should be considered. The combination of colors and the patterns is very important when you choose a rug or carpet. Kirman rugs with its oriental designs and colors with high knot density and made from the finest wool is the best choice when you buy a carpet for your living or dining room.