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Wool rugs are one of the most sought
after and desired home luxuries in the world. Wool rugs are
commonplace in the American home and considered the best money can
buy. Wool rugs soar in popularity and for good reason. Simply
stated, wool rugs are born from one of the oldest textile fibers
known: wool. It has survived the test of time because of its
unique natural properties. The basic characteristics wool possessed
in the Stone Age era, for instance, are still the fundamental
qualities that make wool unique in this
century. Today there are many other textile fibers, but as yet
science has not been able to produce another fiber containing all
the natural properties of wool. Thus the continued success and
popularity of the wool rug.
Today’s wool
rug is durable, strong and beautiful ranging from traditional,
oriental, Persian, machine made, hand made and contemporary.
They remain unique; a masterpiece of design. In the development of
society and the measurement of wealth and accumulation of capital,
wool has been a key resource. Luxury goods were
vital to the formation of trading economies during the Mesopotamian
era.
Given over 200
varieties of sheep, the statement "wool rug" could mean any number
of things in terms of quality, handling, and price to you the
consumer as you investigate the market for a rug or carpet.
Further complicating to the term is the fact that the fiber
varies considerably in texture across the body of an individual
sheep, as well as differences based on the sex of the
sheep. Add in nutrition, age and general health of the sheep and
you have yet another class of variables to mix into the
concept.
Fiber selected
for durability and long wearing is generally harsh in
consistency rather than soft and delicate such as the fiber used for
a lambs wool sweater. The "hand" or texture of the
fiber reflects the
level of scratchiness found in the finished rug. The manner of
grooming and shearing and resulting processing of the fiber can
also vary widely amongst rug producers.
Given the
extraordinary complexity of wool itself, it's surprising to note
that many wool rug applications, for example modern machine produced
oriental designs, are often based on fiber which is
inappropriate for use as an area rug or floor covering at all, rather
should have been processed into garments or decorative furnishings
in light traffic areas. In many Oriental rug designs,
the weavers harvested a longer fiber bearing greater overall
density sometimes twice the size of other fiber, thus giving
rise to a very different finished product. Research into synthetic
dyes intensified in the 19th century as European wool rug
producers sought to recreate the complexity and design of the
nomadic Oriental weaver, however to mass produce such floor
products so that European and American consumers could participate
in the home furnishing phenomenon.
Wool
area rugs have become the litmus test of quality and beauty. Often considered to be the best fiber to buy when searching
for that perfect area rug. Wool rugs, like all of the area rugs at
Superior Rugs can be the perfect solution when seeking to remodel,
reinvent or even update any room in your home. They are a
small investment that can breathe new life and beauty into your home
without the hassle and expense of a major renovation. From unique
hand made one of a kinds to beautifully crafted machine made
products,
we have the largest online area rug selection.
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