Chinese Rugs

Looking at the many varieties of floor rugs for sale today, you will definitely see that some types of floor rugs are a reflection of the area from which they come from. This is especially true for oriental type rugs. These rugs come from Iran, Cyprus, Vietnam, China, Turkey, and India. These area rugs are subsequently categorized according to their origins. Hence we have different categories of rugs such as the Persian rugs, Tibetan rugs, Indian rugs, Kurdish rugs, Central Asian rugs, and Chinese rugs to name a few.

Older versions of the Chinese rugs were previously woven in ‘traditional’ Chinese designs and colors. Did you know that in the 20s and the 30s, rugs that were made in China which were to be exported into the US as well as Europe were purposely designed to look like a Chinese rug? Well, more accurately, these rugs were designed to fit into the idea of a ‘Chinese’ rug, as was perceived in the minds of the foreigners and the Europeans.

The Chinese rug is often woven from wool. Then the rug is hand carved, which results in its beautiful look. Sometimes the rugs are tufted, and other times hand knotting is employed to produce these rugs. They are durable and resilient.

Later, these rugs were made to look more European and were woven in different designs. One of the most popular was the Aubusson style and design which is the flat woven French style rugs. The Chinese rugs were also made in other more contemporary designs, like in the form of the Scandinavian Rya rugs and the Nepalese and Tibetan rugs.

From then on, Chinese rugs were developed into other designs, or what is known as Sino-Persian designs. These are rugs which are woven in China but are styled in Persian designs such as the Kashan, Tabriz and Isfahan rugs. They are woven from wool and silk and look like the antique rugs.

Carved Chinese rugs are normally manufactured using soft pastel colors with simple floral designs. There is also a tendency to use red, black, emerald and navy in the rugs. Besides simple floral designs, the rugs are also manufactured into a wide variety of designs form the above mentioned French Aubusson to the more modern Art Deco. On the other hand, the Sino-Persian rugs are more colorful, and use a more intricate and detailed designs which are reminiscent of the Persian rugs.

One great difference that you can find when trying to purchase these handmade Chinese rugs is that it is graded differently from the handmade rugs of other countries. When looking at a Persian rug for example, you will see its grade as being certain knots per square inch. However, Chinese rugs are graded using a line count. Common line counts include ‘70 line’ and 90 line’. Line counts actually refer to the number of knots in a foot of the rug’s width. For example a ‘90 line’ rug means that the rug has 90 knots in one linear foot across the width of the rug. China is the only country in the world to use this method.

In the home, a Chinese rug can be very beautiful to look at. It is also an attractive piece of furnishing to have in the home as it is soft and very durable. You can easily use a Chinese rug in your home as they are available in many colors, patterns, shapes and sizes. They make great additions to any room in the house, be it your living room, dining room, or your bedrooms.

A Chinese rug is definitely much more affordable compared to other oriental rugs such as the Persian rug. Furthermore, its durability and attractive designs make it a great accompaniment to your home.