| In the oriental countries, a rug is often valued for its | | | | carefully in the dark for many centuries. The colors are |
| colors. The colors communicate a feeling and are also | | | | bright and rich. |
| used to enhance the designs and motifs presented on | | | | When approaching cleaning your Persian rug it is |
| a Persian carpet. The colors added play an important | | | | important to take into regard the age before anything |
| role in distinguishing certain features, and also the | | | | else. If your rug is an antique and a plant or insect dye |
| history and lineage of the rug. Different tribes created | | | | was used to color it then the water could cause the |
| rugs that could be differentiated by the shades and | | | | colors to run. The type of material used can be a big |
| colors used. | | | | factor in the color-fastness especially as dyed silk |
| Synthetic dyes were only introduced to rug makers in | | | | tends to run more readily than wool containing the |
| the 1860s. All the older oriental rugs were colored using | | | | same natural dye. |
| dyes derived from plants, insects and even minerals. | | | | Before deciding to wash your rug you should do a test |
| To the people of the east, each color has a specific | | | | of the color fastness. Most old oriental rugs that were |
| and traditional meaning. Here are some of the | | | | dyed with plant and insect dyes can be quite resilient |
| meanings of colors used in Persian carpets: | | | | to water. There are exceptions though, depending on |
| White: purity, peace and the color of mourning too | | | | the material and the method in which the rug was |
| Brown: fertility and good harvest | | | | originally dyed. More modern synthetic dyes are much |
| Black: destruction | | | | more stable, but to err on the side of caution a color |
| Gold: wealth and power | | | | fastness test should always be executed. |
| Red: joy and happiness | | | | Red dyes are the most likely to bleed, but some blues |
| Dark blue: authority, power, solitude | | | | should be considered with caution too. Care must be |
| These are the basic ideas on the symbolism of colors, | | | | taken with pure white shades, as drying them in the |
| although it is not definitive at all. Some rug weaving | | | | sun could cause discoloration. These pure white |
| nations will interpret the colors differently, and the | | | | shades are often made from the natural sheeps wool |
| interpretation may even change from one side of a | | | | with no dye added, although sometimes these white |
| country to the other. | | | | shades are made from cotton. The cotton white |
| As a general rule, all old oriental rugs will need | | | | shades will not discolor in the sun as the sheeps wool |
| protection from light because the different natural dyes | | | | might. |
| that were derived from plants and insects fade over | | | | In most cases it is probably safest to have your rug |
| time. It is interesting to note that the mellow shades of | | | | washed and maintained by a professional oriental |
| the highly regarded antique rugs in the West often | | | | carpet cleaner. They will have the equipment to clean |
| looked completely different when they were first | | | | your rug properly and will also be able to conduct |
| made. The only proof of this is rugs that were stored | | | | careful color fastness tests. |