Vintage Turkish Rugs

Vintage Turkish Rugs
A well-made rug is the foundation for any room, creating a sense of comfort and tying together colors and furnishings. A vintage rug is an exciting addition because it offers a unique color palette that can’t be duplicated, and the wear and markings of age are signs that your piece was handmade with care and has a rich history to share.

In the 19th century, the world caught a wave of Oriental revival and woven carpets became particularly fashionable. The tribal rugs made in rug weaving villages appealed to Western consumers because of their cultural verisimilitude. In particular, vintage turkish rugs from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries often incorporated asymmetry and used natural dyes of exceptional quality – a direct link to the weavers’ sheep herding heritage.

As the largest group of weavers in the region, Turkish peoples created a variety of styles that were either traditional or more modern. Bergama rugs produced tribal-influenced Turkoman pieces, Hereke carpets had elegant curve-linear patterns that were worthy of Ottoman palaces and Oushak produced decorative room-sized pieces with soft pastel colors.

While other regions also introduced new designs and techniques, Turkey was the first to introduce the knotted pile carpet as a decorative art form. In general, antique Turkish rugs have larger scale pattern motifs with more elaborate details than Persian rugs. They typically feature a combination of geometric and slightly floral designs.

Unlike most of the other rug producing countries, where carpets were traditionally woven for utilitarian purposes or to commemorate important events, the Ottomans established a tradition of pious endowments, giving rugs as gifts to every mosque in the empire. This tradition was largely responsible for preserving many of the earliest antique Turkish rugs.

Although woven on the same looms as other Oriental rugs, these earlier Turkish carpets were usually hand-knotted. This technique allowed for greater detail in the design, as well as a more flexible construction that was more tolerant of abrasion. Today, vintage Turkish rugs are prized for their beauty and can be found in a variety of interior settings, from eclectic bohemian living rooms to formal European dining spaces. Because of their durable, comfortable construction and enduring color pairings, they are one of the most popular rug types to be used in contemporary and transitional interiors. As a result, many designers choose to pair Turkish rugs with bolder colors and patterns in their projects.