Sometimes a simple definition can help one understand a subject better.
A Persian rug: a hand woven rug or carpet made in Iran. The term carpet in relation to this subject denotes a larger size but often the terms are interchangeable. An antique Persian rug indicates an age of 100 years or more, strictly speaking.
Persia was officially renamed Iran in 1935 according to Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary. If you look at this map of the former Persian Empire you can see that the borders were quite different in ancient times and have continued to change throughout history. My point being, if an antique rug was woven in 1850 in what was then classified as Persia it would still be considered a Persian rug, even if that location is not exactly within the current Iranian borders.
Oriental rug is the more general term for handwoven rugs and carpets. An Oriental rug can be from India, China, Romania, Egypt, Afghanistan, Turkey or numerous other countries where they are woven. Additional common terms in use are: Afghan rug, Chinese rug or Turkish rug but these are all, also Oriental Rugs.
Is there such a thing as a Persian Oriental Rug? Yes. This would be an Oriental rug woven in Iran.
The term Persian Oriental rug is not widely used but logically applicable. I noticed recently a number of searches with this phrasing so just thought I would comment on it.
Are machine woven rugs made in Iran? Yes. Very surprising but true. Just do a simple search on Google for Iranian machine woven rugs and you will see numerous manufacturers.
If you're interested in Oriental rug definitions, have a look at my Definitions page on my web site.
Below are a few unique Persian Rugs from my gallery. The rugs featured are Persian tribal rugs.
The term "tribal" is defined on my definitions page for those of you new to the subject!
A Persian rug: a hand woven rug or carpet made in Iran. The term carpet in relation to this subject denotes a larger size but often the terms are interchangeable. An antique Persian rug indicates an age of 100 years or more, strictly speaking.
Persia was officially renamed Iran in 1935 according to Merriam Webster's Geographical Dictionary. If you look at this map of the former Persian Empire you can see that the borders were quite different in ancient times and have continued to change throughout history. My point being, if an antique rug was woven in 1850 in what was then classified as Persia it would still be considered a Persian rug, even if that location is not exactly within the current Iranian borders.
Oriental rug is the more general term for handwoven rugs and carpets. An Oriental rug can be from India, China, Romania, Egypt, Afghanistan, Turkey or numerous other countries where they are woven. Additional common terms in use are: Afghan rug, Chinese rug or Turkish rug but these are all, also Oriental Rugs.
Is there such a thing as a Persian Oriental Rug? Yes. This would be an Oriental rug woven in Iran.
The term Persian Oriental rug is not widely used but logically applicable. I noticed recently a number of searches with this phrasing so just thought I would comment on it.
Are machine woven rugs made in Iran? Yes. Very surprising but true. Just do a simple search on Google for Iranian machine woven rugs and you will see numerous manufacturers.
If you're interested in Oriental rug definitions, have a look at my Definitions page on my web site.
Below are a few unique Persian Rugs from my gallery. The rugs featured are Persian tribal rugs.
The term "tribal" is defined on my definitions page for those of you new to the subject!
If you would like to see more beautiful rugs here is my site:
