About Rugs The History of Rugs
The first creation of rugs has been suggested to be during prehistoric times when people used animal hides on the floors of their shelters in order to keep warm at night. Historians have traced back the art of rug weaving to ancient sacred writings such as the Old Testament (Exodus, Chapter 36, verses 35, 37) which regarded carpets as precious artifacts in the building of King Solomon's Temple (1014-965 BC). In addition, it is believed that different types of flat weave rugs were produced more than 4,000 years ago, as fibers were found in Egyptian tombs. More substantial proof came about in 1947, when a Russian archeologist, Rudenko, uncovered “Pazyrk” the oldest known rug on earth, frozen in a tomb in Siberia which dated back to 5th century BC. Before the discovery of the “Pazyryk”, a rug from the Sassani Dynasty, which was referred to as the “Spring of Khosrows" was the oldest known rug.
The Persians were truly the first to craft rug weaving into an art form. The “Spring of Khosrows” was an object of admiration to the King of Persia, Khosrow I (AD 531-579), during winters, as it served as a reminder of the beauty of a spring garden. The rug was made of mainly silk and embedded with many jewels such as emeralds to represent a green meadow, pearls, and sewn in with silver and gold thread. This marvel measured 400 feet x 100 feet and weighed several tons. It was later ripped apart due to its immense value by Arabs who had conquered the Persians. In the thirteenth century, Marco polo found some of the earliest dated rugs while wandering through Turkey and China. The Romans also valued rugs highly as they decorated their palaces with them from the floors to the walls. In addition, it was documented that Queen Cleopatra was presented to Caesar rolled up in a carpet.
The spread of rugs to Europe ties into major historical events. For example, when Eleanor of Castile married Edward I of England in 1255 and she brought Spanish rugs with her. However, rugs did not spread at that time to the area as most of the other inhabitants of England at the time had floor coverings of hay which included Queen Elizabeth’s own chamber. England continued with the hay floor covering method until the early part of the seventeenth century. In the late seventeenth century oriental rugs were brought to America. In the nineteenth century during the Victorian era, rugs gained popularity and came into large demand. At the present time, rugs are still being created by hand and made with vegetable, plants, and mineral dyed yarn as they were long ago in the areas that made the creation of rugs an art form.
In some areas of the world people still weave the patterns of their ancestors in the same fashion and with the same tools that are named after the cities were they originated. For example, Tabriz, Isphahan, and Kashan, Iran. These treasures are rich in history and tradition and have and will continue to last the test of time.