Description

• Location: Sydney

Vintage Persian Rugs

As far as we know, rugs were first chronicled in Beni Hassan, ancient Egypt, two thousand six hundred years before Christ. In those days, Babylonia rivaled all ancient countries with her rich textiles, including pile carpets made of wool. After Cyrus the Great added Babylon to his empire, Persia inherited all of the arts of the Euphrates Valley and has since retained a foremost place in rugs, giving the world the most beautiful carpets ever made. Persian rugs have influenced rug-making throughout the world, primarily in the orient, including present day Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China, Tibet and Mongolia which all had extensive two-way contact and influence with Persia. The Moors and Crusaders later carried their rugs into Europe where they soon became prized for their rare blend of beauty, utility and quality, with the royal palaces and cathedrals of England using them as wall and floor coverings since the thirteenth century. Today, antique Persian rugs, or vintage Persian rugs as they are also commonly called, are admired and collected throughout the world with the largest number being found in American homes and museums.