Many people look at rugs and just see the beautiful colors, the patterns, and the pictures and think it’s beautiful. However, for oriental and Persian rugs, these beautiful colors and intricate patterns have meaning and stories behind them, and they have had them since the very beginning, for hundreds of years.
Oriental Express in Las Vegas offers the best oriental and Persian rug cleaning and repair services. We serve our area, as well as national and international customers who ship their rugs to us. With over 40 years in the oriental and Persian rug cleaning business, we are your trustworthy rug cleaning company. Below, we’ll take a look at what the colors mean in your oriental or Persian rug. Contact us today to learn more!
Red is one of the most prominent colors you will find in authentic oriental and Persian rugs. Originally, the red dye was obtained from the madder root since it was a deep, rich red. However, other substances were used as well, such as snails, beetles, flowers, and weeds, to create crimson beauty. Red is the color of confidence, action, energy, passion, happiness, luck, and wealth. In fact, Asian brides used to wear red on their wedding day.
Blue is a popular color for oriental and Persian rugs as well. It originally came from the woad plant, but this method did not provide lasting color. When the Indigo plant was discovered, it came to be used almost exclusively due to its deep, sapphire blue color. Blue represents power and solitude and was often paired with afterlife symbols, like the tree of life or cypresses. It also represents trust, honesty, loyalty, and responsibility.
Green is an important color in oriental and Persian rugs, but it was a difficult one to make so you don’t see it quite as often as red and blue. Green is the color of balance, growth, and nature. For Muslims, green was considered to be Mohammed’s favorite color. Thus, for Muslim weavers, they did not use it very often due to its sacredness. It was reserved for special occasion rugs and ones that would not be walked upon. The ancient weavers have known for a long time that blue and yellow make green, which is how they made the green in these beautiful rugs. Blue would be applied first from the Indigo plant and then yellow from Saffron, Larkspur, and buckthorn would be applied over it. Green also symbolizes hope, renewal, and life.
Yellow, as we’ve seen, was used to create green along with blue. Yellows were derived from the plants above, as well as vine leaves and Ox-eye chamomile flowers. Yellow symbolized radiance, the sun, and joy. Gold, which was yellow combined with brown, was not used very often in oriental or Persian rugs as it was reserved for royalty and emperors. Sometimes threads made from gold itself were used, which increased the value of the carpet significantly.
Oriental Express in Las Vegas is your go-to company for all of your oriental and Persian rug cleaning needs. In addition, we are offering oriental rug pad, rug repair, and MicroSeal fabric protection to keep your oriental and Persian rug looking beautiful. We also offer oriental and Persian rug appraisals. As you know, authentic oriental and Persian rugs are highly-valued and sought, so it’s a good idea to know how much your rug is worth. Plus, you’ll have a greater understanding of your oriental or Persian rug’s history as well. Contact us today to get started!
