Rug Styles

Antique Traditional Rugs

Antique traditional rugs are collectible items which are old (usually at least 100 years old) and are collected or desirable because of its age, rarity, condition, or other unique characteristics. They are objects which have reached an age which makes them a witness of a previous era in human culture.

Aubusson Traditional Rugs

In 1608 Henry IV initiated the French production of “Turkish style” carpets under the direction of Pierre DuPont. This production was soon moved to the Savonnerie factory in Chaillot just west of Paris. The earliest, well-known group produced by the Savonnerie, then under the direction of Simon Lourdet, are the carpets that were produced in the early years of Louis XIV’s reign. They are densely ornamented with flowers, sometimes in vases or baskets, against dark blue or brown grounds in deep borders. The designs are based on Netherlandish and Flemish textiles and paintings. The most famous Savonnerie carpets are the series made for the Grande Galerie and the Galerie d’Apollon in the Palais du Louvre between c. 1665-1685. These 105 masterpieces, made under the artistic direction of Charles Le Brun, were never installed, as Louis XIV moved the court to Versailles in 1688. Their design combines rich acanthus leaves, architectural framing, and mythological scenes (inspired by Cesare Ripa’s Iconologie) with emblems of Louis XIV’s royal power.

Pierre-Josse Perrot is the best-known of the mid-eighteenth-century carpet designers. His many surviving works and drawings display graceful rococo s-scrolls, central rosettes, shells, acanthus leaves, and floral swags. The Savonnerie manufactory was moved to the Gobelins in Paris in 1826. The Beauvais manufactory, better known for their tapestry, also made knotted pile carpets from 1780 to 1792. Carpet production in small, privately owned workshops in the town of Aubusson began in 1743. Carpets produced in France employ the symmetrical knot. The design of these rugs have also been adapted to pile carpets and are now woven in India and China.

Collectable Traditional Rugs

People sometime mistake collectibles for antiques. A true collectible is anything that is 50-100 years old. For generations the Maloumian family has maintained an impressive collection of Collectable Traditional Rugs. For personalized showing of this unique collection, please call and schedule a personal appointment with Roy Maloumian.

Contemporary Traditional Rugs

Newcomers to the big league of the carpet manufacturers are the workshops in Nepal employing Tibetan refugees. Their carpets are made using uniquely Tibetan weaving technique with the wool of the highest quality. Their designs are original, modern and created by few high end designers, which made them unique and collectable in the future

Persian Traditional Rugs

The art of carpet weaving in Iran has its roots in the culture and customs of its people and their instinctive feelings. Weavers mix elegant patterns with a myriad of colors. The Iranian carpet is similar to the Persian garden: full of florae, birds, and beasts.

The colors are usually made from wild flowers, and are rich in colors such as burgundy, navy blue, and accents of ivory. The proto-fabric is often washed in tea to soften the texture, giving it a unique quality. Depending on where the rug is made, patterns and designs vary. And some rugs, such as Gabbeh, and Gelim have a variations in their textures and number of knots as well.

Tibetan Rugs

Tibetan rug making is an ancient art and craft in the tradition of Tibetan people. These rugs are primarily made from Tibetan highland sheep’s virgin wool. The Tibetan uses rugs for almost any domestic use from flooring to wall hanging to horse saddles.

The process of making Tibetan rugs is unique in the sense that almost about everything is done by hand. But with the introduction of modern technology, a few aspects of the rug making processes have been taken over by machine primarily because of cost, disappearance of knowledge etc. However some new finishing touches are also made possible by machine.

With Tibet’s occupation by Chinese communists in early 1950, Tibetan refugees started migrating to India and Nepal. With them they also brought their knowledge of rug making. Currently in Nepal the rug business is one of the largest industries in the country and there are many rug exporters.

Tribal Traditional Rugs

Tribal rugs are not designed as such but woven directly from memory. They primarily made for use, not sale, and, in addition to their practical role as grain sacks or pannier bags, have an important place in tribal life. Traditional and sacred patterns are woven into the rugs making them part of the very fabric of tribal life and identity. All these patterns, charged with significance, can only be understood by reference to the culture of those that use them.