Welcome to

MP Persian Rug Imports

Quality         Service  

Uniqueness    Value     

New Tabriz Persian rug - Part of my Oversize Persian rug collection - To see all Persian rugs, click on GalleryPicturial Qom Persian rug - Part of my Large Persian rug collection - To see all Persian rugs, click on Gallery

Round GOLD-METAL Tabriz Persian rug - Part of my Round Persian rug collection - To see all Persian rugs, click on GalleryTwin Tabriz Persian rugs - Part of my Runner Persian rug collection - To see all Persian rugs, click on Gallery

Main Website click here   

PERSIAN RUGS INFO Click here

Persian Rug E-mails

Persian rug - faq21

Persian rug - faq22

Persian rug - faq23

Persian rug - faq24

Persian rug - faq25

1. A brief summary of Persian rugs:

Persian rugs have been around for many centuries and they have always been considered a form of art and also as a means of investment. The word "Persian" has become synonymous with Iranian rugs, since this is what is meant when I talk about Persian rugs. Other countries like India, Pakistan, China, etc. make rugs as well, but when we talk about Persian rugs, we are referring to rugs that are made in Iran and that are handmade. I say handmade, because there has been an unfortunate trend lately to copy real Persian rugs by others countries, who then mass-produce them using machine technology. A real Persian rug is handmade in Iran and only natural wool and fibers are used in the process. One of the reasons, why Persian rugs are so valuable, is because they are handmade by individual weavers, rather than in factories. Also, Persian rugs are made of all natural wool and silk and do not have synthetic silk or wool.

Another reason why many individuals worldwide collect Persian rugs is due to the uniqueness of the rugs. Every Persian is different from another, even when they come from the same city or even weaver. If you notice in my inventory, I have many rugs from the same city, but each one is different. Unless a weaver specifically intended to make a set of identical rugs, you will not find two that are the exact same in every aspect.

The result is that when you are looking at a real Persian rug, you are looking at a piece of art that is handmade and is designed to not only match your home and personality, but also to last for many, many years.

Picture #1

A round Persian Tabriz Rug being woven by a weaver in Tabriz, Iran 2003. Most of the Persian rugs are made by families and you can see a husband working along side his wife.
Here you see a Tabriz rug being woven by one of the weavers that we do business with and this particular piece will become part of my inventory as soon as it is completed. This Tabriz rug will take several month to complete and it is the main source of income for the rug weaving families. Due to the drop in overall prices of rugs, many weavers can no longer make rugs as a sole occupation and are now making rugs as a supplemental income. You can also see a woman sitting behind the weaver, which is also very common with most families. Most weavers will work in teams of 2 or more on a rug and to find a husband work along with his wife is a very common practice.
The white background you see is the foundation of the rugs, which is basically a whole lot of cotton or silk strings tied to a wooden frame.

Picture #2

In this picture, you can see the weaver using a pattern as a guide to create the design of the Tabriz rug. Weavers will typically create a drawing first and then use that as a template to create the Persian rugs.
Here you see the same rug from a different angle. The person in the front is my mother, who lives in Tabriz and she does most of my purchasing for my business. She apparently enjoys being in the pictures, since you will see her in other pictures as well. There are a couple of interesting points that I would like to share with you. Above the rug is a drawing, which has been folded and then placed there as a reference. Before a rug is woven, the weaver will draw a picture of the rug onto paper and then use the paper as a reference guide. This is very important so that the symmetry of the design is even throughout the whole rug. Another feature is the area that my mother is pointing out, which is called the kelim. Round and oval rugs typically feature a kelim, which is a border that goes around the entire rug and it is basically the foundation only. Most weavers will add some delicate artwork to it, but for the most part it is left exposed to show off the quality of the rug being made. 

Picture #3

In this picture, you can see a weaver working on a large Tabriz Persian rug. Typically, several people will work on a large Persian rug as a team and it is not uncommon to have up to 6 weavers producing one rug.
Here you see a different rug being made by another weaver. You can see the wooden frame which holds the cotton foundation. On top of the frame you see the different balls of wool that the weaver will use and he is also a drawing as a reference point. The entire process is done by hand which is one of the reasons why authentic Persian rugs are so valuable. This particular Tabriz is going to be a fairly large piece, and it can take several month to be completed. Some of the larger weaving families will employ several weavers, who will work on a rug as a team or work on several rugs at the same time. 

Picture #4

One of the final steps and perhaps the most delicate is the carving of the silk highlights in fine Persian rugs. Most high end Tabriz and other fine Persian rugs have large areas of pure silk and in order for the silk to be shiny and spectacular, it is slightly trimmed for added beauty. One wrong step and the person can tear a hole, cut the pile, or otherwise damage the Tabriz rug severely.
High end Persian rugs, and especially the Tabriz rugs, feature silk highlights and you can see the young man using a shaver to give them a special treatment. After a rug has been completed, it is cut off the frame and trimmed so that the pile is even. If a rug is a high end piece like this one, then an additional step is taken, which is this one right here. This entire rug has lots of silk highlights and this man is using a special tool almost like a sander and he is polishing the silk. As a result, the silk is much brighter and it also pushes the silk into the rug. Many of my rugs have large silk highlights and they appear to by embedded in the rug. This is the process that makes this happen and it is a very slow and painstaking process. The person performing this task has to be very skilled and careful, since one wrong step can result in the silk being torn or a hole being created, which would render the rug useless. 

My goal is to share more pictures with you and as I receive them, I will post them.