Batik

Batik is a dyeing technique facilitated by the intentional positioning of wax on fabric. As wax repels the dye it leaves areas free from colour which allows patterns to be created with one or more colours. Wax is removed using boiling water.

Whilst batik is often associated with Indonesia and more specifically the island of Java (the word ‘batik’ is taken from the Javanese language), there are traditions across the globe from Nigeria to India and the Philippines and unsurprisingly techniques and traditions vary from nation to nation.

Batik facts:

When a piece of fabric decorated using batik is to be worn, some patterns are reserved for certain body parts. Isosceles triangles are commonly for headwear and birds are often for wear on the body.

Drawing the patterns on the fabric with liquid wax is known as ‘canting’.

UNESCO designated Indonesian batik as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

Rug creation

Oriental rugs must be simultaneously art, decoration and furniture and achieve all three successfully. As we know from previous blog posts, creating an Oriental rug is something that takes weeks, months or even years.

Of course, Oriental rug creation goes back thousands of years but its inclusion in this post is more to emphasise its role as art as this is often overlooked. True oriental rugs don’t allow for mass production on any large scale and each piece must be created with many hours of laborious work by a person rather than an algorithm-based machine that is capable of repetition.

Applique

Applique is a decorating technique that uses fabric stitched on top of other pieces to form a pattern. It’s name is of French origin but the name isn’t reserved for textile based art but instead refers to the technique regardless of material used. Clay for example is an alternative to soft textiles.

The word ‘appliqué’ can refer to both the technique and the material being stitched.

The art form is particularly important to the African nation of Benin

Appliqué began to emerge out of necessity in the 18th century although to exact origins are unknown

As humans, we’re naturally quite skeptical and the ability to ignore flaws and things that are different is an acquired one rather than something that’s innate. It could be argued that it’s only social convention that stops us meeting somebody and saying: “you have a large spot on your nose”.

Talking to somebody who has a slightly strange accent means that although they’re perfectly linguistically understandable, we often won’t really concentrate on what they’re saying until we’ve pinpointed the accent. The idiom is often “the elephant in the room”.

The problem is often quite exacerbated when the flaw is part of something that’s otherwise rather beautiful and pleasant to look at. An Oriental rug will generally have symmetry and well-defined patterns which if damaged suddenly gain an undesirable focal point.

Any kind of damage to the material of an Oriental rug requires immediate attention to prevent it becoming worse. The structural integrity of a rug depends on the materials become sound, much like a window. You can’t break part of a pane of glass, the pane is either broken or intact.

Another issue that may be less noticeable is discolouration or colours running which if caught early enough can be restored.

A regular look at your rug is most certainly worth doing to prevent every houseguest remembering the worn section of your rug rather than the rest of the rug which remained rather amazing. They’re only human.

Your Persian rug is rarely the only item in the room and as such need to work well alongside other pieces of furniture from other sources.

We’ve hand-picked 5 wonderful pieces from interiors website heals.co.uk that work wonderfully alongside Oriental rugs. Here they are:

Holborn Coffee Table

http://www.heals.co.uk/invt/holborncoffee

This coffee table boasts a 1960’s Danish design and exudes a sense of style and excellent workmanship. It’s traditional feel makes fit seamlessly either near or on top of a Persian rug.

Slouch Sofa Collection

http://healssofas.co.uk/sofas/slouch-sofa-collection/pcat/sofaslouch

The Slouch sofa is anything but antique but its simplicity gives it the flexibility to sit amongst a contemporary or traditional backdrop.

The photo on the website shows it alongside the Holborn Coffee Table and a blue rug.

Amalfi Corner Sofa

http://healssofas.co.uk/sofas/amalfi-corner-sofa-collection/pcat/sofaamalfi

The Amalfi Corner Sofa defines what it means to be contemporary but doesn’t preclude itself from traditional surrounding. The pure white colour contrasts with the intricate patterns in a Persian rug to create a show stopping combination.

Tempur Foxton Bedstead

http://www.heals.co.uk/beds/tempur-foxton-king-size-bedstead/invt/foxtonk

The elaborate headboard makes this bedstead a wonderful choice in a bedroom where a traditional Persian rug also takes pride of place.

Flos 30 Light Chrome Pendant by Gino Sarfatti

http://www.heals.co.uk/pendants+chandeliers/flos-30-light-chrome-pendant-light-by-gino-sarfatti/invt/515092

A chandelier isn’t the most obvious choice for most of us but alongside colourful designs and patterns, the intricacy of this piece works well. The website shows the chandelier amongst other furniture pieces including an Oriental rug.

This infographic shows you how to look after your Persian or Oriental rug.

Abrisham

Another word for Silk from the Persian language

Bloom

This refers to adding ingredients to the dye bath for the purpose of increasing the brightness of the colours.

Carding

This is the combing of fibers prior to spinning with wire brushes

Fugitive Dye

This is when a dye fails to retain its hue and shade and is a problem that requires professional attention.

Herati Pattern

A Herati pattern consists of a flower centered in a diamond with parallel leaves outside the diamond

Kardak

Taken directly from the Persian, this is a carpet-trimming knife.

Mercerized

The process of treating cotton thread with an alkali under pressure to increase its strength and gloss.

Morghi

Quite literally translates as ‘a hen’ but is used to describe a pattern involving chickens.

When asked about what Iran has given to the world, the first answer of many is of course Persian rugs or indeed plentiful oil supplies! For a nation that claims a history going further back than biblical times, it’s not surprising that there’s a lot more to Iran and ancient Persia than this.

Alongside Persian rugs, the region boasts a fantastic history of pottery creation and just like the makers of rugs, Persian potters adjusted their artform over time to fit changes in society brought about by political turmoil. Much of this is reflected in the materials used and methods of production, which is evident in the pieces that exist today.

For those interested in viewing some beautiful examples, there are extensive collections held at the British Museum in London, the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg and at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

Although silk is a material produced predominantly in south east Asia, being at the heart of the infamous Silk road which functioned as the transport and communication backbone between Europe and Asia gave Persia access to this wonderful material from which many beautiful garments could be crafted. Such garments are culturally attached to the Middle East rather than China.

Whilst Men are forbidden to wear silk garments under Islamic teaching, the material was widely used for women’s clothing and as such demand remained very high and a substantial industry existed for production.

One of the more obvious exports from Persia is the cuisine which is widely available throughout the UK especially in London where pockets of Persian restaurants exist. From unique lamb dishes through to a creative use of fruits and vegetables, Persian cuisine is in fact a fusion of Anatolian, Mesopotamian and Greek cuisine to name but a few.

Iran’s location in Asia but close proximity to both Africa and Europe gives it an advantage in terms of trade and as such influences can be seen both to the west and indeed the east.

The word ‘personality’ is often and quite rightly associated with sentient human beings followed closely by domesticated pets, but could it be said that furniture has a personality of sorts?

In the usual sense, an inanimate object cannot have a personality, but what it can have is the ability to evoke an emotion whether that be through beauty, history or otherwise. For something inanimate to have such an effect on somebody, it perhaps holds a reflection of the creator’s personality.

Looking at a Persian or Oriental rug, your eye immediately recognises it’s a fabric piece but just knowing a brief history about the rug can make it a whole lot more interesting. The knots in the rugs are often created by hand, can you imagine the feelings of the person beginning this almighty task knowing there’s a long way ahead before the rug starts looking anything like a rug. Can you also imagine the pride, delight and passion the same person has when the rug is nearing completion?

To you, the rug is a beautiful addition to your home, to the creator, it’s the product of many days work to put food on the family table. It represents economic independence, it represents the skills that have been passed down through generations over a thousand years. It’s certainly more than just fabric when you know even the smallest thing.

From another angle, how does the rug make you feel when you have time to appreciate it? Does the carefully woven material offer some comfort underfoot at the end of a long day at work; do the vibrant colours offer a welcome change of scenery in stark contrast to the computer screen you’ve been in front of all day?

To conclude, it’s not important to debate the question of personality but rather more important to know that it invokes an emotion within you.

It should be no surprise that many celebrities and other public figures, including the odd fictional character, are united by a love of the beautiful carpets of ancient Persia and modern day Iran, as well as similar creations from Turkey and the orient.

Everyone’s heard of Kanye West’s travails when trying to render his home ‘real Kingish’ in 2010 – they gave rise to one of the most chuckled-over tweets of the decade: “I specifically ordered Persian rugs with cherub imagery!!! What do I have to do to get a simple Persian rug with cherub imagery uuuuugh.” Actually we can sympathise – authentic Persian carpets come in over four thousand different types, illustrating abundant themes including religion and love, while modern versions take in a cosmopolitan range of subjects. Cherubs don’t seem that much to ask.

Ben Affleck faced a different challenge when he picked up a £1,600 antique rug in Istanbul while filming Argo in 2012. The star was seduced by the beautiful piece while browsing at a bazaar, but when he got it home, wife Jennifer Garner pointed out the area rug for the living room had already been ordered, so it ended up as a bath mat. Not the best way to care for a valuable artwork, but they are made to be walked on.

The most famous Persian rug in cinema (and a feature of one of our earlier posts), of course, belongs to the character played by Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski, whose beloved possession suffers an even worse indignity before leading him into a morass of mistaken identity and extortion.

While all three undoubtedly love their oriental rugs, there are also some well-known figures better described as connoisseurs. The private collection of Sigmund Freud was one of the finest in Europe, and the pieces adorning his consulting room included a Persian Qashqai draped on the patient’s couch. You can still see his treasures at the Freud Museum in London.

Other famous serious collectors include iconic bond girl Ursula Andress, who told Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine of her passion, and Henry Kissinger, whose hobby is documented in Kissinger: A Biography by Walter Isaacson.

The addition of a Persian rug can make a beautiful and often richly coloured and intricately patterned adornment to a room. As well as lifting the appearance of the room and creating an instant impression of warmth and luxury, a sumptuous oriental rug of any kind makes a statement about the taste of the person who has put their thought and talent into designing the room. Even guests who do not consciously look down and take notice of the rug’s beauty will appreciate the inviting atmosphere it helps to create, while those who are more observant will not fail to appreciate its visual appeal. However, as with any other feature of a room, the appearance of a Persian rug can be enhanced with careful lighting, or be sadly diminished if no consideration is given to it at all.

It is a sad fact that today many room designs fall short of their potential simply because insufficient thought is put into the lighting. Indoor lighting for Persian rugs is a particularly important consideration, as some rugs are best kept out of direct sunlight in order to preserve the richness of their colours. While many rug owners do their utmost to position them so that they are not subjected to direct sunlight or to heavy traffic areas of the room, they may not think of making the additional effort to choose the kind of lighting that ensures that the rug’s sumptuous design is lit to its best possible advantage.

As well as considering how and where the light falls on the rug in order to showcase its beauty, it is also helpful to consider whether the lamps and light fittings selected harmonise with the appearance of the rug. If you are going for a mainly minimalist look, offset by the vibrancy of the rug, light fittings in neutral colours and simple shapes can be positioned to draw attention to a beautiful Persian rug; all without competing with it for the eye’s attention. Rather than having simple lamps that make a striking contrast with the ornateness of the rug, you may prefer to complement it by featuring light fittings which draw on traditional Arabian lantern designs. For example, silver or brass lamps with ornate filigree patterns can add to a room’s luxurious and exotic ambience, while charming Ottoman style mosaic lamps, can, like the rugs themselves, add an exuberant splash of colour to the room.

Genuine Persian rugs are beautiful, handmade works of art, but they often command a high price. Can an expensive product ever be a suitable gift for a loved one? Quite possibly, and here are five reasons why.
Firstly, a Persian rug will last the owner a lifetime. They are so well made, from such high quality fabric, that, providing they are looked after properly, Persian rugs will easily last for several decades. Genuine Persian rugs are made by artisans in Iran and the reason that they are so expensive is down to the time taken to produce a single rug, and the top quality wool, or cotton, used to produce them. Some older rugs are even made of silk.

Secondly, they are beautiful. Genuine Persian rugs are handmade in Iran, and each one is an original piece of art. They make fantastic gifts as something a little different for art lovers.

Thirdly, Persian rugs are available in a range of sizes, so despite the high prices, they aren’t entirely inaccessible. A rug smaller than six feet by four feet is known as a Qālicheh, and tends to be more affordable than larger rugs, which are known as Farsh.
Persian rugs retain their value very well and are of course collectable, antique rugs are often very valuable. So a Persian rug can actually be something of an investment, and really is the gift that keeps on giving. Rugs older than 100 years are known as antiques, and rugs that are 50-99 years old are known as semi-antiques.

Lastly, if you don’t want to buy such an expensive, quality gift only to have it trampled all over, Persian rugs can be hung instead. They look great mounted on a wall and make an eye-catching feature.

As we have seen, if you’re able to purchase one Persian rugs make great gifts, and if you can’t think of anyone that deserves such an exquisite gift, you could always treat yourself to one!

When buying a Persian rug, always use a reputable dealer to ensure that you are buying a genuine one. Machine-stitched rugs may be a lot cheaper than genuine rugs, but they are often not as beautiful or offer the same quality.