Persian Carpet \ Persian Rug (9)

The Persian carpet (Middle Persian: Bob, [1]Persian: Farsh, meaning "to spread"; Sometimes qali)[2] is an essential part of Persian art and culture. Carpet-weaving is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished manifestations of Persian culture and art, and dates back to ancient Persia. In 2008, Iran's exports of hand-woven carpets was $420 million or 30% of the world's market. [3][4] There is an estimated population of 1.2 million weavers in Iran producing carpets for domestic markets and international export. [5] Iran exports carpets to more than 100 countries, as hand-woven rugs are one of its main non-oil export items. The country produces about five million square meters of carpets annually_80 percent of which are sold in international markets. [6] In recent times Iranian carpets have come under fierce competition from other countries producing reproductions of the original Iranian designs as well as cheaper substitutes. [6]
The designs of Iranian carpets are copied by weavers from other countries as well. Iran is also the world's largest producer and exporter of handmade carpets, producing three quarters of the world's total output. [7][8][9] Though in recent times, this ancient tradition has come under stiff competition from machine-made products. [10] Iran is also the maker of the largest handmade carpet in history, measuring 60, 546 square feet (5, 624.9 square meter). [11][12][13]
Persian carpets can be divided into three groups; Farsh / Qali (sized anything greater than 6× 4 feet), Qalicheh, meaning "small rug", sized 6× 4 feet and smaller), and nomadic carpets known as Gelim (ncluding ilu, meaning "rough carpet"). [2] In this use, Gelim includes both pile rugs and flat weaves (such as kilim and soumak).
Materials
Wool is the most common material for carpets but cotton is frequently used for the foundation of city and workshop carpets. There are a wide variety in types of wool used for weaving. Those of which include Kork wool, Manchester wool, and in some cases even camel hair wool. Silk carpets date back to at least the sixteenth century in Sabzevar and the seventeenth century in Kashan and Yazd. [citation needed] Silk carpets are less common than wool carpets since silk is more expensive and less durable; They tend to increase in value with age. Due to their rarity, value and lack of durability, silk carpets are often displayed on the wall like tapestries rather than being used as floor coverings.
Designs, motifs, and patterns
Elements of the Persian carpet.
Persian rugs are made up of a layout and a design which in general included one or a number of motifs. The Iran Carpet Company, a specialist in the subject, has attempted to classify Persian carpet designs and has carried out studies of thousands of rugs. [citation needed] Their results show that there have been slight alterations and improvements to almost all original designs. In its classification the company has called the original designs as the 'main pattern' and the derivatives as the 'sub patterns'. They have identified 19 groups, including: Historic monuments and Islamic buildings, Shah Abbassi patterns, spiral patterns, all-over patterns, derivative patterns, interconnected patterns, paisley patterns, tree patterns, Turkoman patterns, hunting ground patterns, panel patterns, European flower patterns, vase patterns, intertwined fish patterns, Mehrab patterns, striped patterns, geometric patterns, tribal patterns, and composites.