The Benefits of Hand-Knotted Rugs

Hand-knotted rugs are truly works of art. Each is as unique as a Rembrandt, a one-of-a-kind masterpiece made of love, sweat, and fabric. These wool or silk rugs are creations you can be proud to add to your estate and pass down to the next generation as family heirlooms. Some people insist that a hand-knotted rug is impractical because they have young children or pets. Others claim that only the colors and patterns of their rugs are important, not the source. Still others decry the price of a hand-knotted rug and question the value. As you rifle through a rack of hand-knotted rugs, consider the work that went into each piece. A skilled weaver may have spent as long as a year tying each knot. Large hand-knotted rugs often require a team of experienced weavers working for months to achieve the intricate patterns found in these tightly knotted floor coverings. If you don’t want to throw just anything onto your floors, a hand-knotted rug can add grace to any surface. In addition to the superior workmanship, you will find other benefits associated with hand-knotted rugs:

• Hand-knotted rugs are the most durable rugs you can own. Because they contain no glue or adhesives, they do not decay like machine-made rugs (which generally last from three to ten years). Each strand of wool or silk in a hand-knotted rug is looped around an adjacent knot and secured with its own knot. These rugs can withstand decades of heavy traffic and still look as good as the day you brought them home.
• Only hand-knotted rugs can be thoroughly cleaned because they contain no chemicals that react to water. A professional rug cleaner can keep your prized possession looking new for generations.
• While other rugs lose their value within a year or so, most hand-knotted rugs increase in value over time. Hand knotted rugs are becoming rarer and harder to come by as the number of skilled weavers learning this art form is decreasing every year. A well-made hand-knotted Oriental or Persian rug can include anywhere from 100 to 400 knots per square inch. Because of this level of detail and craftsmanship, and because the weaving of hand knotted rugs is a dying art form, they can increase in value substantially over generations.
• The rich beauty of a hand-knotted rug lies deep within its texture and color. Weavers who learned their art from their parents (who learned it from their parents) often use natural fruit and vegetable dyes to create each masterpiece. If you place one of these beauties side by side next to a machine-made rug, you will undoubtedly notice the above-average depth and beauty of the hand-knotted piece.
• Hand-knotted rugs are free of chemicals and synthetic fabrics. They are purely organic and won’t harm your family’s health. Machine-made and tufted rugs emit subtle toxins that can trigger allergies and cause skin reactions in people with chemical sensitivities.

Like many products, you usually get what you pay for. When purchasing a rug, the slightly higher price of a hand-knotted piece far outweighs the savings you think you’re accruing. At Rug & Home, however, you can find tremendous deals on luxurious hand-knotted rugs. Some are even less expensive than high-end machine-made pieces. Come in to see our whole collection of hand-knotted rugs.