Persian carpets a labor of love

Paying KD 200,000 for a carpet may seem crazy to some but for many it’s an investment in a work of art that will last a lifetime. The price of a Persian carpet (also called an Iranian carpet or rug) varies depending on several factors including the workmanship, the material and origins of the carpet, the length of time it took to make and the size and width of the carpet.

“The material from which the carpet is made affects the price. Basically, Persian carpets are made from three materials – silk, wool and fur, and the silk ones are the most expensive,” Adham, owner of Dar Al-Wafa Iranian Carpets, told Kuwait Times. The other very important factor affecting the price is the number of knots. “The size and the number of knots matters. If there are more knots on the carpet, it means that the work took more time and effort. The same applies to the size. If the knots are smaller, then the price is higher. This also makes thinner carpets more expensive as the knots are smaller,” he added. The age of the carpet also matters. “If the carpet is very old, then it’s considered an antique and the price is more expensive. So if a Persian carpet made of wool is very old, then it would be more expensive than a new silk carpet. Also, the colors used in making old carpets were all natural and will never run, while artificial colors are also used now, so the colors may run,” stressed Adham.

Special Care According to him, the most important factor is the treatment and storage of the carpet to keep it in good condition always. “Customers should be aware that the cleaning process can only be done at a specialized laundry for Iranian carpets and not the regular laundry. People don’t know that they may damage their rug by wrong cleaning and then pay KD 500 just to return it to its original condition,” he pointed out. “The carpet has to be stored in dry place away from humidity and high temperature. The carpet should be rolled in a cool and dry place, because if it is exposed to hot weather for long periods, moths may attack it. Also, it’s better to put naphthalene balls between the rugs if stored. I advise customers to clean the carpet every two or three years, as the weather in Kuwait is dusty, and dust may damage the carpet if it gets inside the knots,” Adham explained. The prices at his shop vary between KD 150 to KD 12,000. “The most expensive rug available at our shop took between 3 to 4 years of work, and three people worked on it. The threads used in the carpet are dyed first, then the carpet is made. All our collection is only from Iran, although some carpets are made in Pakistan, Afghanistan or other countries,” concluded Adham.

Handmade Ali, a salesman at Esfahan Carpet Alkheir, another store selling Persian carpets, said that handmade rugs are more expensive than the ones made by machines. “At our shop, all carpets are handmade, but there are some shops that have machine-made carpets too. The customer can recognize a machine-made carpet as the knots won’t be visible form the back. This is due to being made on the wooden surface of the machine, so it’s flat,” he stated. There are certain areas in Iran famous for this industry. “The most popular are Tabriz, Esfahan, Qashan and others. There is no top or best city for manufacturing Iranian carpets as there are first, second and third grade carpets in each city. Unfortunately, the industry today is not as it was before, and fewer people are spending on carpets,” added Ali. Persian carpets can always be fixed if they are damaged. “Even if a carpet is burnt with coal, we can return it to its original position. Cleaning needs special cleaning materials and machines, so people can’t do it by themselves. We have a special machine that cleans and dries it immediately – the water gets out of the carpet from the back. If water falls on the carpet, the colors won’t run or get damaged, but if it isn’t dried immediately and the water remains for days, then it can affect the colors and get damaged further,” noted Ali

By Nawara Fattahova