History of Rugs
History of Rugs and Carpets have held a magical appeal since Scheherazade first told the story of Aladdin and his flying carpet. For thousands of years, Oriental carpets have inspired literature, art and music. Since it's inception by the nomads in Turkey and Mongolia, rug making has developed into an art that has survived political and religious upheaval. The art of rug making is one of the common threads that tie cultures together through the centuries.
RUGS' TIMELINE
Carpet Weaving 3000 BC
- Nomad tribes start weaving together rugs to warm earthen floors. They weave the hair from their camels, sheep and goats to craft rudimentary rugs.
1000 BC
- Approximately the time the rug of Pazyryk is thought to be made - the oldest known carpet. At 300 knots per inch, rug making is well-established.
500 BC
- The Greek classic "Agamemnon" mentions rugs.
7th- 8th Century
- The carpet-making process has already been in development for 3000 years.
Carpet Weaving in the 13th and 14th Century
- The Crusades bring the appreciation of carpet weaving to Europe.
- In 1277, King Louis IX spreads rug popularity through France.
- Rugs are custom woven “to order” in the Middle East for European customers.
15th Century
- Owning an Oriental rug in Europe is now seen as a great status symbol.
- Noblemen and women have their portraits painted with their Ottoman or Turkish rugs in the background.
16th Century
- The height of rug making in China begins during the Manchus Dynasty, also known as the Qing Dynasty.
- Rug making flourishes in the Middle East during the rule of the Safavid Dynasty.
- Encrusted with jewels, the Ardebil carpets are the most famed of the time. Today, the Ardebil carpets now reside in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
- The Persian rug-weaving industry becomes nearly obsolete in 1722 when the Afghans invade Persia.
- The Mongul emperor, Akbar, starts rug making in India by bringing Persian weavers from Kashan, Isfahan and Kerman.
- Rugs are now considered too precious to put on floors; instead they are used to adorn tables, chests and walls.
- In 1570, rug weaving is introduced in England to replicate Persian carpets.
17th Century
- In 1608, Henry the IV sets up carpet production at his palace at the Louvre in Paris.
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