Why authentic hand knotted rugs? A personal story.
At first glance, you can’t help but be drawn in by the colors, design, & vibrancy of hand knotted rugs (& for me specifically, hand knotted Persian rugs made in Iran); they pull you in the most surprising way. Beyond their obvious aesthetic appeal, I also feel a deep sense of gratitude & admiration. Why? Read on.
The special story behind each rug.
Each handmade rug has its own unique timeline and narrative. Personally, I love each rug that our “Baba” (“Dad”’ in the Persian language) brought with him for our home in the States, whether or not they matched our home’s decor & color palette . One particularly memorable story he told us was the time he bartered his Peugeot (car) for a rug with a rug seller. Can you imagine? Not something that happens every day, right? But Baba knew it was worth the trouble of the exchange. You see, getting to a rug merchant in the dense traffic of Tehran, the bartering, the exchange, the travel across continents & an ocean to get to our home is not as simple as running to the “big box” store for a quick purchase. I’ve developed a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for the rugs he worked so hard to get to us. It really wasn’t until later as an adult that I fully understood why he went through so much trouble. It was his desire to share a tangible part of our heritage with his children; a part of our culture that would remain long after the tastes of food, sounds of music, & other memories spent with Baba would fade.
Rugs are deeply embedded into Iranian culture & heritage.
There’s nary an Iranian family home that doesn’t have at least one rug on the floor (or on the wall, on the table…). After I immigrated to the US from Iran at age 9, I wanted to assimilate to American culture as quickly as possible. It wasn’t easy entering a completely new way of life where I was foreign to everyone else. During this time, I lost a bit of appreciation for my culture. But old wounds have healed & I‘ve gained back the love through understanding more about Iran in part through each rug’s story, which has in turn helped me understand myself and connect with my own heritage more deeply.
Weavers perform intricate and detailed work to craft each rug.
The differences between a machine-made & a handmade rug are pretty much incomparable. We’re looking at a heartless, soulless creation versus one made by real hands & with real devotion. The level of detail involved in weaving each handmade rug is truly incredible due to the skill required and time spent from planning to execution. I believe there is something to be said for a rug that’s been woven by a real human versus a machine-made rug produced for the masses. While we don’t know the details of each handmade rug’s story, it fascinates me to imagine the process of its creation & excites me that we have our own stories to add to the rug once it's a part of our homes.
Vibrant colors on a Persian runner rug. It’s very likely that two women worked on this runner for three months.
Flash forward: Why do I curate hand knotted rugs for you?
Our world is much smaller than we realize. Yes, Iran is thousands of miles away & maybe a true mystery to some, but it doesn’t have to be. Fact is, I’m finding that there are many of YOU who share the same love of beauty & craftsmanship. Even if you’ve never considered starting a collection, there’s something for everyone. So, I’m sharing the journey as I learn more about the details of the rugs, & more importantly to me, attainably offering them to you. Will you be able to barter a car for a hand knotted rug? Maybe not, but then again.