The term “Oriental rug” gets thrown around more often than it really should be for any patterned rug. This is partially due to the ongoing confusion over the difference between machine-made and hand-made rugs that are sold in stores. Some store employees may genuinely not be able to tell the difference between the two, but other retailers will actually take advantage of customers by claiming something is hand-made. As a customer, you could be paying a premium price for a rug that was made by machines. It is important to understand and recognize the differences yourself.
True Oriental rugs are ones that, as previously mentioned, are hand woven and knotted. These types of rugs generally hail from the Middle East and Asia to where the origins of rug making can also be traced. Countries such as India, China, Iran, and even Morocco and Egypt are known for producing high quality rugs. Many other nations in those geographic regions may also produce rugs, but anything coming from Europe or America is probably machine-made and not genuine.
Although both rug types may possess Oriental designs, you need to look a little closer to notice the differences. Any rug made from polypropylene and nylon are manufactured by machines and not created by hand. These rugs may come from Belgium or any other country mass producing rugs with Oriental designs.
If you are a resident of Brooklyn or Manhattan and would like to further discuss the various origins of rug-making or figure out if your rug is made by hand or machines, give us a call today at (888) 719-3373. We look forward to hearing from you.