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Oriental rugs exude beauty and quality.  Oriental rugs are timeless works of art.  But before you get too excited, let’s define what we mean when we say "oriental rug". Oriental rugs commonly describes a hand-woven item produced primarily in the Near East to Central Asia. Machine-made rugs of any sort are not "oriental rugs" in the established sense, but are more accurately referred to as "oriental-design" rugs.  So that's distinction number one. 

Within the definition of handmade oriental rugs, there is also a distinction between decorative rugs and collectible rugs, though there can be some overlap.  Modern rugs (often described as decorative, new, modern/contemporary) are, in the main, produced in commercial workshops; though they are made by hand and hence "genuine" Orientals.  They originate in Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, India, and China. The labels on many can be a study in confusion— at least in an ethnographic sense— and are often described according to the Persian (Iranian) city in which the rug's design attempts to typify. For example, a rug labeled "Sino-Kashan" would describe a Chinese-made copy of a Persian floral medallion carpet as popularized by the city workshops of Kashan, Iran. 

There is a plus side to the mainstream decorative rugs.  They are beautiful and wear well.  The value and long term worth or collective value of these ‘new age’ products has much to do with quality of materials (machine vs. hand-spun), dyes (natural vs. synthetic), and the ethnographic authenticity of the rug and its weaver(s). It is thrilling to find the designs and techniques that have developed over time and have given these works of art their historic value and mystique. 

The commercial workshops of India, Pakistan, et al arose in part to help fill the U.S. market demand for handmades when a twenty-year embargo made Persian (Iranian) products almost unobtainable.  The embargo turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the industry, because concerns about quality and the degeneration of the art resulted in a renaissance in new rug production. 

The best new pieces are colored with natural dyes, in designs and colors associated with the weavers' ancestry and heritage. There are numerous designs that can be woven. Some of the styles can include floral, arts & crafts, modern/contemporary, rectilinear (primitive/geometric), curvilinear & European.

Designs Include:

Floral

Arts & Crafts

Modern/Contemporary

Rectilinear (primitive/geometric)

Curvilinear

European

Country Origins (Modern)
Iran, India, China, Turkey, Nepal/Tibet, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Turkmenistan, Romania.

Country Origins (Semi-Antique and Antique)
Persia, India, China, Turkey, Afghanistan, Caucasus Region which include Azerbaijan, Armenia & Georgia, France, Turkestan.

A rug dealer should be very specific when stating the origin of a rug. The origin should also be on the rug tag, or when shopping on the computer, in the description. A rug can be of Persian design but woven in India, China, Romania, Egypt or Pakistan and a Chinese design can be woven in a rug from India or China.

At Superior Rugs we help take the confusion out of rug labels.  Our labels clearly and concisely state all of the pertinent information regarding each rug.  The origin, fiber content, size, and all relevant manufacturer information appear on the label.  Superior Rugs helps take the guesswork out of the too often convoluted rug labels.