Serapi rugs - the perfect earthtone rug

Serapi as a design of carpet originated in sixteenth century India. Originally it was more floral with brighter colors. Today, Serapi’s are woven in north-western Iran in and around Heriz. Today’s Serapi’s look more geometric and use a lot of earth tones. And the fact that they are mostly larger sizes with a thick pile, makes them very similar to the rugs of Heriz. A true Serapi is an antique Serapi.

History and Construction

The Persian carpet is a tradition that has survived for thousands of years, with its major flowering in the 16th century under Shah Thamasp and Shah Abbas. Persians are enormously proud of their culture, and this shows in the way they make their area rugs. Most villages or cities in Iran have an ancient and traditional pattern that has been used in that region for centuries. Many designs are particular to that city, or even to a particular family. Although famous designs are frequently copied elsewhere in the country, they seem to remain purest and strongest at home. Today, many major cities in Iran have their own modern rug industries, and some have started to revive lost designs. In antique paintings, especially those of the Italian Renaissance and later, there is almost always a Persian carpet somewhere in view. Their decorative designs are sometimes borrowed by architects for the ornamentation of buildings, and sometimes weavers have borrowed patterns from buildings, like the exquisite Isfahan medallion inspired by the famous mosque of Shah Lutf Allah in that fabled city. These are what make the Persian carpet such a potent dose of decorative cultural intensity for any interior today. Quality and symmetry are the biggest factors determining the price and value of a Persian rug. The better the quality in a handmade rug, the longer it has taken the builders to construct (the builders of handmade rugs include the producers of the wool and dyes, the designers, the weavers, and those who build and maintain the looms and other equipment involved). The most important factor in the quality of Persian rugs is the tightness and accuracy of the knotting. Very tightly knotted rugs are very durable, but they are also very hard to weave and take longer. Therefore rugs with higher KPSI (knots per square inch) demand higher prices. Other factors in quality are the grade of wool or silk chosen, the material of the foundation, the dyes, symmetry and intricacy. When determining the value of handmade rugs, professional estimators take all these factors into consideration. City rugs are much finer than village or nomadic rugs. This is because it is difficult for the nomads and villagers to weave large or intricate rugs, having little or no access to large protected spaces, or to modern technology. Iran is the world's largest producer and exporter of handmade rugs today. Making the finest rugs in the world, Iran integrates modern technology with masterful design and strong tradition, to produce timeless pieces of art so durable that they outlast any similar product anywhere.

Many designs are particular to that city, or even to a particular family. Although famous designs are frequently copied elsewhere in the country, they seem to remain purest and strongest at home. Today, many major cities in Iran have their own modern rug industries, and some have started to revive lost designs. In antique paintings, especially those of the Italian Renaissance and later, there is almost always a Persian carpet somewhere in view. Their decorative designs are sometimes borrowed by architects for the ornamentation of buildings, and sometimes weavers have borrowed patterns from buildings, like the exquisite Isfahan medallion inspired by the famous mosque of Shah Lutf Allah in that fabled city.

These are what make the Persian carpet such a potent dose of decorative cultural intensity for any interior today. Quality and symmetry are the biggest factors determining the price and value of a Persian rug. The better the quality in a handmade rug, the longer it has taken the builders to construct (the builders of handmade rugs include the producers of the wool and dyes, the designers, the weavers, and those who build and maintain the looms and other equipment involved). The most important factor in the quality of Persian rugs is the tightness and accuracy of the knotting. Very tightly knotted rugs are very durable, but they are also very hard to weave and take longer. Therefore rugs with higher KPSI (knots per square inch) demand higher prices. Other factors in quality are the grade of wool or silk chosen, the material of the foundation, the dyes, symmetry and intricacy. When determining the value of handmade rugs, professional estimators take all these factors into consideration. City rugs are much finer than village or nomadic rugs. This is because it is difficult for the nomads and villagers to weave large or intricate rugs, having little or no access to large protected spaces, or to modern technology. Iran is the world's largest producer and exporter of handmade rugs today. Making the finest rugs in the world, Iran integrates modern technology with masterful design and strong tradition, to produce timeless pieces of art so durable that they outlast any similar product anywhere.