Spotlight Rug: Sino Persian

Sino Persian rugs are rugs that were made in China.  Many rugs were made in China in 1980 after the Iranian Revolution.  Fewer rugs were being exported into the United States, so it allowed for China's oriental rug industry to flourish.  Currently, however, fewer rugs are being made in China due to a higher labor cost, therefore the value of the rugs has increased.  Main Street Oriental Rugs has just received this new 8x10 Sino Persian rug.  It is a copy of a Persian Tabriz Design with a silk accent.

Sino Persian rugs are made not only with wool, but also with silk.  This adds to their value and beauty.  They have highly intricate and detailed patterns due to a tightly woven knot, and generally feature floral designs. (Source: http://www.orientalpersianrug.com/sino_persian_oriental_rugs.html)

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Spotlight Rugs: Herati

Two rugs that Main Street Oriental Rugs currently has in stock are a Fine Indo-Persian Herati design runner and a Persian Antique Herati design rug.  The Antique Herati rug is 50 years old and is in excellent condition.  The Herati runner is very similar in design because it is an antique reproduction.  Herati rugs come from Herat, which is located in Afghanistan.  Dating back from ancient times, Herat has been a center of trade and artistic beauty.  The sheep in the area are known for their high quality wool, which gives value to the Herati rugs.  The traditional designs of these rugs have been passed down through the generations (Source: http://www.baluch-rugs.com/Oriental_Rugs/Herat_Rugs_Carpets.htm).

Persian Antique Herati

Herati rugs typically have all-over repeating designs, usually featuring fish.  Herati rugs are named after a type of fish.  The design will sometimes contain a center lozenge, which represents a pond. There are also usually a pair of leaves, representing a male and female fish, repeated throughout.  They generally contain navy and red as primary colors for the field and border.

Fine Indo Persian Herati

Design close-up

Spotlight Rugs: Heriz

Two new rugs that Main Street Oriental Rugs just received are a Turkish Heriz Design rug and a Persian Heriz Design rug.  These two rugs are both handmade and of very high quality.  Heriz is a major weaving center of both contemporary Iran and 18^th century Persia. The term Heriz refers to about 30 villages within a 30-mile radius of the city of Tabriz. The city of Tabriz is located in the far northwest region of Iran, which borders Turkey and the Caucasus region, which was taken over by Russia early in the 20^th century.  Before this happened, however, the Caucasus was part of the Persian Empire. Heriz rugs are “the country cousins” of the Tabriz, for although they follow many designs of the latter, they are modified in a way typically their own.

 Turkish Heriz

The angularity of the lines and motifs in Heriz rugs distinguish them from the rugs of the neighboring Tabriz.  Heriz design rugs favor geometric and tribal designs.  Heriz rug weavers often draw inspiration from flowers leaves and other floral objects, but do to the style of weaving, namely the heavily angular lines, there is sometimes little resemblance to these objects that the motifs represent (Source: http://nazmiyalantiquerugs.com/articles/history-of-herizserapi-rugs/).

Persian Heriz

One difference between these two Heriz rugs is the weave.  The Persian Heriz has a tighter weave, compared to the Turkish Heriz, which has a looser weave.  The finer the weave, the more knots per square inch on the rug.  The more knots per square inch means that more work went into the rug.  Therefore, this tighter weave causes the value of the Persian Heriz to be higher than that of the Turkish Heriz.  The more knots per square inch your rugs have, the higher in value it will be.

Splendour International

Main Street Oriental Rugs imports all of its rugs from overseas.  One of the companies we deal with is Splendour International.  This company provides us with large collections of high quality oriental rugs.  These rugs are very different from most oriental rugs.  Their texture and over all look contributes to this fact, as well as a heavy tribal influence.  When these rugs are washed, very little chemicals are used.  Natural soaps, that are strong enough to clean the rugs effectively without ruining the rugs, such as herbal walnut based soaps, are used.  Some of the types of rugs that Main Street Oriental Rugs receives from Splendour International include Ersaris, Khotans, Feraghan Sarouks and Qadeemis.

Qadeemi rugs are made from hand spun wool from Afghanistan.  The weavers of these rugs tend to use greens and dark browns, as well as some reddish-brown colors like rust.  Although heavier in weight compared to some oriental rugs, Qadeemi rugs are very soft.  These tend to be tribal rugs with geometric designs.  Many people love this type of rug do to its beauty.

Khotan rugs are made with a Turkish knot and vegetable dyes.  Khotan is a place in China where the Chinese lived with lots of Turkestan influences.  These rugs are handwoven in Pakistan and generally feature medallions or a geometric design.

Feraghan Sarouk rugs have classical designs and use natural dyes.  Today these rugs are made in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Inspiration for the designs on these rugs come from nobles who lived in the 19th century.

Ersari rugs are made from natural dyes and very high quality hand spun wool.  There is a large influence from older Turkestan works.  There is much cultural value in the Ersari rugs.  

Historic Ellicott City

Main Street Oriental Rugs is located in Historic Ellicott City.  Historic Ellicott City came to being before the American Revolution.  It started out as a small town, but then slowly grew.  Originally called Ellicott Mills, after the Ellicott Brother's flour mill, Ellicott City officially received its name in 1867.  Ellicott City has strived to preserve its "look" for over 100 years.  Even Main Street Oriental Rugs' building looks very similar to what it looked like in 1923.
1923:                                                                      Today:

Today, most of the stores in Historic Ellicott City are small businesses.  This gives the area a more personal environment, as customers can get to know the owners of the stores; they receive individual attention.  And unlike large retail stores, employees are more likely to have a thorough depth of knowledge about the merchandise that is being sold.  Shopping at Main Street Oriental Rugs in Historic Ellicott City is definitely a treat for you and your family.