Persian rugs

The petty princes local chieftains and rich merchants had rugs which, though less rich and artistically important, were never­theless of admirable beauty.

The nomads and villagers aimed more at utility and made handsome but unpretentious rugs of simple patterns and few colours.

Purity of materials is all-important to the quality of a carpet. For some of the very finest Persian carpets even the sheep were sometimes bred and tended like children, in order to prevent their wool from matting!

Even today, in two carpets made to the same pattern with the same dyes by the same weavers, and differing only in grade of wool, one may by worth three times the other!