Why do handmade Oriental and Persian rugs occasionally have imperfections in regards to symmetry or size?
When it comes to handmade rugs, most people do not expect them to be flawless. Some even believe that weavers make minor mistakes intentionally to stress the fact that only God can be without imperfections. Although there is no set of rules indicating a flaw in an area rug, some general considerations are:
Overall Frame: A hand knotted rug is expected to be as straight as humanely possible in all 4 sides.
Symmetrical Points: Except in some rare designs, handmade rugs use highly symmetrical patterns. It is logical to expect that such rules of symmetry have been followed by the weaver.
Abrash: The term “abrash” refers to different shades of the same color in a rug, and usually affects only the field but can sometimes extend to the colors of the border as well.
Repairs: If a rug has been repaired, no matter how professionally, then it is not a piece in perfect condition.
Inconsistent Weave: You should remember that most hand knotted rugs are produced in villages and in the private home of the weavers, who may become ill, take on a temporary job at a farm, take time off to attend to kids, or many other reasons. In such cases, another member of the family or a relative is likely to take over the task of weaving. The result, almost always, is inconsistencies in the weave which will be easy to spot by looking at the back side of the rug.
The point to remember is that almost all handmade rugs are unique, and minor imperfections in their overall condition are to be tolerated.
It is a common belief among Persians that only God creates perfection. It is therefore common that slight imperfections can be found in Persian rugs. Usually these can be seen as perhaps an extra flower or one flower being of a different color than the rest. However, most variation is seen in tribal pieces. Although not always intentional, it is due to the fact that nomadic weavers operate differently from city weavers. Looms used in rural areas are usually very simple horizontal looms placed on the floor, making it more difficult to weave a perfectly symmetrical rug. Nomadic weavers migrate seasonally and slight imperfections are caused by temperature changes and the dismantling and re-assembly of their simple looms. The looms used in rural areas are usually very basic horizontal looms placed on the floor, which makes it much more difficult to weave a perfectly symmetrical rug. By definition nomadic weavers migrate according to the seasons, and slight variations might also be caused b
Related Questions
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