A Symphony of Names

The names of Oriental Rugs are often difficult to pronounce and confusing to the beginning rug buyer. They conjure up images of faraway lands and exotic locales such as Sarouk, Kashan, Kerman, Bokhara, Peking, Samarkand, Heriz, and Tabriz, to name a few.

The names originally referred to the cities , villages, or nomadic tribe which specialized in a specific weave or pattern. Using the cities to identify specific rug styles is no longer a rule of thumb. Many patterns are now woven in cities and countries other than their origin. The names are now more useful in describing a pattern than discovering the area where a rug was made.

Rug Ideas can help you identify the various names and pinpoint the country of origin. Because standards of quality and common techniques are still indigenous to the countries which produce Oriental Rugs, it is useful to look at each to learn more about the characteristics of the rugs produced there.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Oriental Rugs as Investments

Like any fine work of art, Oriental Rugs may appreciate with the passage of time. During their 2,500 year history, Oriental Rugs have been a standard of luxury and have proved countless times their value increases.

Antique rugs are generally the most valuable Orientals. The reason is twofold: they have a proven record of appreciation because of their increasing scarcity, and the passage of time has mellowed and enhanced their beautiful colors. Collectors prize them not only for their investment potential but also for their beauty.

If you are buying an antique (100 years old or more) or semi-antique (50-100 years), be sure to examine it thoroughly. A qualified dealer *like Rug Ideas* can help you ascertain it's age. Be sure to check for moth damage, stains, brittleness, patches and repairs. Any damage lowers the value of an antique rug (or any rug), although skillfully made repairs will not have a great impact on the value.

Many new rugs are also a wise investment, as the past few decades have shown. Their value has risen steadily due to inflation and scarcity, and the steady climb is not expected to stop. This is especially true of rugs produced in regions which are turning to industry instead of traditional rug-making, such as Iran and Caucasus, as their scarcity will make them more highly prized.

Tips for those buying for investment purposes include buying the best rug you can afford, dealing with a reputable dealer(*like Rug Ideas!*) and investing some time in studying Oriental Rugs, just as you would study other investments.

Article sourced from "The Mystique of Oriental Rugs" by Oriental Rug Retailers of America

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Kerman Rug - Layers of Dirt vs. Deep Cleaning

Last week a customer brought in a 6 x 9 Kerman Rug that had not been cleaned in about 7 years. It is a beautiful rug but the layers of dirt prevented anyone from truly seeing how beautiful it is. Our customer opted for our deep cleaning to bring back the life and vibrancy to her rug. Take a look at the before pictures below:

We put this Kerman through our deep cleaning process, which is the highest quality care/wash you could give to a handknotted rug. We were quite pleased with the results; check the after pics below:

This Kerman rug now looks absolutely fantastic thanks to our Rug Ideas deep cleaning. All the layers of dirt are gone and the beauty of the rug shines through. The owner had no idea that her rug would come out looking brand new and has decided to bring in 2 other rugs she has at her house. If you have a rug that hasn't been cleaned in a while and needs some TLC, bring it in to Rug Ideas for that extra special treatment!

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)

Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)

www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com

www.RugIdea.com

Tel. 310-770-9085

Custom Made Pillows

We have all types of rugs, runners as well as tapestries in our Los Angeles showroom available to our customers. We also have some unique items and today we'd like to show you our custom made pillows!
They are all stitched together by hand by one of our master weavers and can compliment many areas of a household. They can be used on a bed, on a couch or stacked together to make a comfortable area of pillow bliss. Take a look below:

These pillows have a great look and will brighten up any room. They also make fantastic gifts for a birthday, anniversary or for that special somebody. They come in small and large sizes and are priced to move! If you are interested in a unique item that is all hand sewn and brings all the comforts that pillows do, then come on in to our showroom today so we can show you our selection!

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Rug Tours, Los Angeles Rug Tour & Workshop

Meet Ashkan Sobhe a marketing guru and a third generation rug specialist in our Los Angeles rug Tour and Workshop of 10-12 of August 2012.

Born and raised on Persian rugs, literally, Ashkan Sobhe inherited a wealth of knowledge about handmade carpets and rugs from his family’s business. Having developed a strong passion for modern advertising and marketing through technology, Ashkan went his own way and started the internet marketing firm ITC over ten years ago. Today, the company boasts partnerships with both Google and Microsoft, is ranked by Google as the number one SEO company in all of Los Angeles, and was ranked one of the top 30 SEO companies globally in May of 2012. Combine his family’s knowledge of rugs and carpets with his extensive knowledge about the SEO industry (including his authorship of the marketing book “Internet Marketing is NOT Rocket Science”) and there is no one on the planet better suited to market Rug Services than Ashkan Sobhe. Join him at the Los Angeles Rug Tour & Workshop to receive over a decade of experience in one day and learn how to create a steady flow of customers coming to your door.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

All about Yazd Rugs

Yazd is an ancient city in central Iran between the famous cities of Isfahan and Kerman, surrounded by desert with an area of 72,000 km2. The population of Yazd was 327,000 in 1996. A  large number of Zorastrians still live in Yazd.

The history of Yazd dates back to the time of Alexander the Great, one thousand years before the introduction of Islam. During the Sassanid Empire (AD 224-651), the city of Yazd was an important center for silk production and silk textile throughout the 13th century. Marco Polo, the famous Italian traveler (1254-1324) who traveled on the Silk Road, on his way to Goby Desert visited the city of Yazd and mentioned the golden thread fabrics made by the textile makers of Yazd.

The Yazd rugs have asymmetrical ( Persian ) knots with three wefts. The number of knots in square inch is much lower than Isfahan rugs and Nain rugs, but the pile is softer and longer. The quality of the wool which is from the local is fine and the natural dye makes the rug look lustrous. In the desert surrounding the city of Yazd, madder is cultivated and its root is used for different shades of deep and light red.

Some of the designs look like Kashan with one big centered medallion. Other designs resemble Kerman rugs with open field background and floral borders derived from the book covers. There are some other geometrical as well as curvilinear designs which resemble non of Kashan or Kerman pattern such as "East 
London " design. It is common to make room-size carpets in Yazd.Yazd is also the home for Zilo, a kind of cotton flat weave made for mosques and endowment to wholly shrines with only two colors of white and blue cotton yarns.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Persian History and Varni Kilims

The city of Ardabil (also called Ardebil. It's ancient name was Artavil) is the capital of Ardabil Province in northeastern Iran with an area of 18,011 square kilo meters, bordering on the (former Soviet) Republic of Azarbaijan to the north and north east, Guilan province to the east and south east, East Azarbaijan to the west, Zanjan province to the south, a little inland from the shores of the Caspian Sea, and 588 km to the northwest of Tehran, Ardabil can be reached both by the road and air. It is located in an altitude of 1,300 m above sea level and is 210-km northwest of Bandar-e Anzali and 70 km from Astara on good asphalt, twisting Scenic Mountain road. The town is a market center for a fertile agricultural region; hand made carpets and kilims (gilim) are being produced there.

Other towns of the province of Ardabil are Bileh Souar, Germi, Khalkhal, Meshkin Shahr, and Pars Abad. The province has a population of 1,165,025 deeply religious inhabitants. Because of being situated at the foothills of Mount Sabalan, 4, 860 meters above sea level, the town has a pleasant weather in different seasons, thus attracting huge number of visiting guests from all parts of Iran. Ardabil was probably founded in the 5th century AD. It became (10th century) the capital of Azarbaijan, but was soon superseded by Tabriz. In 1220 AD it was destroyed by the Mongols. Ardabil is best known as the birthplace of the eminent 
religious leader Sheik Safi od-Din (1251-1334) from whom the Safavid dynasty was descended. Sheikh Safi was the founder of a sufi order and monastery in Ardabil, the prime mover of Iranian culture during the 15-16th century and the center of the theocratic community of Dervish Brotherhood. Dervishes, after coming together under the same organizational structure, managed to attract and retain the attention of large masses in the towns and in the country. Ismail, a descendent of Sheikh Safi and who was later crowned as the Shah of Persia in Tabriz (1501), was himself a member of this order. The main objectives of Dervish Brotherhood were the elimination of the then rampant anarchy and the reorganization of a new state that could respond to the demands of the urban and the rural disinherited of Iran and satisfy the people’s thirst for justice. Shi’ism began to spread through mosques, monasteries and Dervish centers, and very soon conquered the masses. Shah Ismail created an immense empire: he succeeded in subjecting the many principalities that had formed after the fall of Timurid state. In 1510 he defeated the Khan and conquered Baghdad. The decision to uphold Shi’ism might be interpreted as an extreme endeavor to prevent the Iranian nation from becoming absorbed by the west (Ottomans) and the east (Uzbeks). The town was occupied by the Turks in 1725 and the Russians in 1828. Its proficient library was taken to St. Petersburg by the Russians.Mausoleum of Sheikh Safi Sheik Safi’s 14th –century tomb in the center of the city of Ardabil often enlarged and restored in later centuries, can still be visited. It houses the mortal remains of Shah Ismail as well as his saintly ancestor, who is reputed to have foretold the future, spoken to the dead and rescued those in danger at sea. The tombs are 
surrounded by finely engraved wood panels with extraordinarily delicate ivory and precious metal inlays.

The complex of structures known, at present, as Sheikh Safi’s Mausoleum, consists of a portal, a porch, Sheikh Safi’s tomb-chamber, the Chini Khaneh (china hall), the Shahidgah (martyrdom site), the Khaneghah (dervish monastery), Qandil Khaneh (lantern hall), the Jannat Sara (heaven) Mosque, and others, and ranks among the finest historical achievement of Iranian art.The burial place of Sheikh Safi od-Din Ardabili as well as other Safavid kings, such as Shah Ismail, comprises the tombs of a number of princes, notables and generals of the Safavid period, including the tomb attributed to Shah Ismail’s mother, and those of Sheikh Sadr of-Din, Sheikh Junaid, Sultan Heidar and two generals, namely Sultan Ustajilu and Kurd Beig, the latter’s tombstone bearing the 1542 AD date. Apart from the above structures, the construction of the main portal of the mausoleum and three domes decorated with exquisite faience tile and inscriptions in the Kuffic and Riqa’ scripts, give considerable charm and splendor to this attractive historical monument. The decorative elements of the complex, both internal and external, consist of paintings, plaster moldings, stuccos and gold-toned stalactite decorations.

The structure of the Qandil Khaneh stands out among the rest both from the architectural as well as the plaster points of view. Sheikh Safi’s tomb-chamber is a cylindrical tower capped with a rather low dome, underneath which an exquisite carved box bearing an inscription in Riqa’ script covers the actual burial ground. The box is one of the finest movable treasure pieces of the mausoleum.The dome of Sheikh Ismail’s tomb-chamber is lower than that of Sheikh Safi, and is decorated on the outside with colorful tiles and an inscription in Kuffic. Under the dome in the chamber a fine, costly box rests upon the tomb. The shrine on Sheikh Junaid’s tomb together with three other boxes in the complex, are highly attractive on account of their superb carvings. There is a large vaulted hall next to the mausoleum wherein Shah Abbas the Great stored the collection of jade and porcelain given to him by the Emperor of China. Each object was placed in a gold-plated niche cut to size. The gold has worn off and most of the objects (except about a dozen dishes and receptacles) are now in Tehran museums.

The oldest part of the complex belongs to the 15th century AD, the other parts having been gradually added, particularly under Shah Tahmasp I and Shah Abbas II, who spared no efforts to expand, beautify and repair the Safavid Kings’ eternal resting place. The most famous of Persian carpets, the so-called "Ardabil Carpet" (one of a pair) in the Victorian and Albert Museum, was presented to the mausoleum by Shah Tahmasp in 1539. It was actually made in Kashan. Ardabil Museum Originally called Chini Khaneh (Porcelain House), and part of Sheikh Safi Complex, it was inaugurated as a museum affiliated with the complex in early 1991. The architectural style of the edifice resembles that of Ali Qapu in Isfahan. It is an octagonal, domed room with four Shah Neshins ( elevated recesses). The stalactite works in this structure are considered as fine specimens of the constructional and decorative devices of the Safavid period. The Chini Khaneh, with its beautiful plaster work, is one of the most artistic and valuable parts of the complex, which is also notable for a number of fine and expensive wooden and silver doors.

Varni Kilims
Varni, a flat weave and Kilim (gilim), a kind of rug and floor covering without pile and very decorative which is produced in the province of Ardabil is famous in the world. The designs are based on the motives of the surrounding environment mostly birds and animals depicted from the top of the head of the talented weavers of the region, all of whom are patient ladies who learn to weave varni from their mothers. Many of the varnies are made with silk. They are completely made of natural silk or partly silk, so called “Kaf Abrisham”, meaning with silk background. The designs are divided into frames and small cubes (squares) or rectangles in which the motives of the birds and animals are woven. Based on a report put out by the Iran Handicrafts 
Organization, Ardabil Branch, there are 2,500 workshops in the province with 2,000 weavers along with 13,000 independent weavers which work in their homes and make 20,000 square meters (more than 210,000 square feet) of varni per year. The local market price for the whole production amounts to $1,000.000. To read about the famous Ardabil Carpet, a pair with one piece in the Victoria & Albert Museum (London) and another piece in Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) visit the related link on our website or CLICK HERE.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Zari Fabric

" ZARI " ( golden ), is an attributive adjective, which is attributed to ZAR (gold). It means made of gold. Therefore, ZARI is brocade with gold weft". About 1000 B.C. fabrics were woven in the from of two-weft, in East of Iran. In SASANID era (early 7th century), Iranian could weave the fabric with high durability 
and strength by the carefulness in the twisting the silken yarns.

Brocade is named of traditional fabric that all wefts are silver or gold and their warps are silk. Nowadays a large number of these fabrics belonging to the SASANID era (last dynasty of native rulers  to reign in Persia before the Arab conquest in 640 A.C.) exist in royal treasure in Tehran or in famous churches in the Europe and Japan's museums. It is obvious that the king of SASANID donated these precious pieces to the imperial western court. The designs of SASANID are usually combination of hunting ground and birds. In regard of the remaining fabric from this age, we can say that the combination of these fabrics reached to the ultimate point of artistic creativity, harmony, design and color.

The texture of ZARI was welcomed into the age of Safavi Dynasty (late 15th century). Provinces such as Kashan, Yazd, and Isfahan became major centers for creation of this art. The culmination of this art is seen during Safavi era in Iran. The motifs and designs of fabrics, like the design of rugs, were drawn before hand. The difference is that the motifs are repeated throughout the fabrics.

This art flourished in the contemporary era. In the year 1929, with the attempt of Master "Hosein Taherzadeh Behzad Tabrizi", the first workshop of ZARI with attendance of "Habiballah Tarighi" began to work in Tehran. This workshop has continued it's work, and a few remaining artists, produce the unique brocades in limited quantity but high quality.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Custom Repair - Nepalese Rug

We had a custom repair request come in last week involving a beautiful Nepalese rug. The owner had purchased the rug in New York and had it for many years but one thing bothered her enough over time to find out her options of customizing the rug. The problem was the fringes; they were always getting caught in her vacuum. The fringes had become battered because of this and the owner was just tired of dealing with them. Take a look below:

She explained her problem to us at our showroom and we told her we could definitely get rid of the fringe and secure the ends with binding just like on the sides of the rug. She was ecstatic with this idea and immediately said yes to the idea; after our deep cleaning of course(we always recommend cleaning your rug before doing repairs so that you get a fresh, clean, repaired rug back). All the binding was done by hand by one of our master weavers; take a look at the results below:

Needless to say our customer was extremely happy with how everything turned out. She no longer has to deal with the fringes and she was very happy with her new custom rug. It is vibrant from the deep cleaning and is not going to cause her the headaches from trying to prevent the fringes from being sucked in by her vacuum. Here's to another successful custom rug job at Rug Ideas!

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085

Persian & Oriental Rugs

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think quality rugs and carpets? Persian rugs, naturally. Carpets held significant meaning to the Persians as long as 2500 years ago. The rugs and carpets were so important to the culture that they were commonly incorporated into the literature of the time. Persian artistic influence reached its apex in the 14th to 16th centuries with its carpets, rugs and tapestries (kilims). It began exporting these quality items in the 16th century. Because of the popularity of these products, America and other countries started Iranian factories in the 19th century to keep the art form and productivity alive.

Carpets and rugs are still some of the most valued possessions of Iranians even today. The design of each carpet and rug is unique, and can be individually linked to a specific area, town or tribe. There are some Iranians whose entire fortunes are tied up in these pieces of art.

Oriental rugs and carpeting are an art form of such intricate detail that the words “Oriental rugs” have become nearly synonymous with any kind of carpeting with a pattern design. However, most of these rugs are not really Oriental rugs at all. The genuine articles come from Iran but countries such as China , India , Afghanistan , Turkey and other surrounding nations also make rugs many of which use Persian rug designs. Genuine Oriental rugs and carpets are woven or tied in rows using knots called Persian or Senneh knots.

We know whether the products are made of wool, real or artificial silk. We know the tricks of unscrupulous manufacturers who make cheap imitations. We watch for and produce, and import only the finest products available. Many families teach their members to weave and carry on the fine traditions of oriental carpet weaving. By importing these handmade family products we believe that we are helping the weavers to make rugs while their children attend school.

We have all types of Persian, Oriental and area (machine made) rugs in different color combinations, designs and sizes. We are second generation in rug business since 1953. You can benefit from our decades of experience. We are either board member or member of many professional societies and rug is our passion. You will appreciate our eye for authenticity. The stunning esthetic beauty of our rugs and carpets will capture your imagination.

The tradition of fine Persian and Oriental workmanship and art continues today at our store in Los Angeles . For unsurpassed quality in Persian and Oriental carpets and rugs, visit us at our store in Irvine . You will find no finer merchandise anywhere in southern California . We are also conveniently located within easy travel distance of Santa Monica, San Fernando Valley, Santa Barbara, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, San Diego, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Lake Forest, Tustin, Santa Ana and others. Trust us—it will be worth the drive.


Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085