The History of Aubusson Rugs

Aubusson flatweave carpets were first introduced in the 16th century when weavers began to create carpets and Tapestries for the royal courts and aristocrat families in France. The weave of the Aubusson rug is the same as a Tapestry. They are both flatweaves, similar to kilims, except that Aubusson is made for the floor, using coarser stitch and often thicker yarn to give certain thickness and heaviness. 

The Aubusson rugs are woven sideways on a loom which can be either horizontal or vertical. Even so, the final result and the weave will be the same on either type of loom. They are named after their town of birth, Aubusson, approximately two hundred miles south of Paris. It lies in a peaceful valley, protected by a hill and through it flows the river Creuse. The water of this river is particularly suitable for stabilising the dyes which are used in the rugs. Today, these handwoven flatweave carpets are tightly woven with one of the best multi-ply New Zealand wool. Using the same traditional techniques, similar style and designs as they were made centuries ago. 

Design of Aubusson Carpets 

As each new monarch came to power, new designs reflected the styles and pastimes of the era. The design of Aubusson carpets was generally created by a well-known artist, which included depicting flowers, vases, etc. As for important tapestries, the royal courts often commissioned the work to well-known artists, such as Reuben  Raffaele including drawings of biblical and historical scenes, a series of events from specific occasions, and rooms or areas where the weavers had to follow the exact design from the coloured cartouche. 

Inspired by a meticulous selection of Aubusson and tapestries antique designs, we have altered the designs, sizes and colour combinations to suit today’s space and to be able to furnish your every requirement.

Selecting an Extra Large Rug for your home 

When it comes to selecting a rug, the size plays a big role. Looking at the written measurements or the rug itself in a showroom could deceive and may give you the impression that it could be too large for the space desired. However, most rooms can accommodate an extra-large rug. This would elevate the warmth, thus making the décor much more appealing comparing to a small centrepiece.

Often, when clients look at a rug in a showroom and hear the size in CM or FT, their initial thoughts is that is too large, but once the rug placed in their homes, they soon realize that they could have gone much larger. A considered extra-large or oversize carpet is generally over 420 cm/4.2m in length.

When looking at the size, of your living or drawing rooms, you may notice that most rooms are usually over 600 cm long. Therefore, any rug you wish to choose which is over 420 cm (length) would be within the large category and still would leave on each side approx.100 cm of free space.

To make a large rug, we use two types of looms. One is the static, either upright or horizontal loom where the weaver or weavers would climb up or move forward as they are weaving the rug and another more advanced technique is the roller system, which allows the weavers to sit where they are and instead roll under the loom, part of the newly made rug that they have already woven. Making large rugs is a lengthy task and it may take more than a year for a rug of the size of approx. 400x300 cm. Each knot needs to be carefully woven resulting in beautiful patterns and colours which immerses once it completes the piece.

Our Wembley showroom holds one of the largest selections of new, old, antique and modern oversize or unusual sizes in Europe. We have over 1,400 rugs among our 12,000 stock which are large or oversize carpets, starting in the size of 420 cm/4m until 1200 cm/12m long. All our carpets are handmade and include a variety of designs and colours woven in different parts of the world which would enhance and bring life to your interior.

Hand-knotting a carpet is an intricate art to master. A skilled weaver may complete between 8 000 to 12 000 knots in an eight-hour working day.

The process of weaving a rug depends on the region the rug is hand-made and the thickness of the wool used. Whereas nomad carpets use thick handspun yarn created not close, an Isfahan has to be close to meet its expectations.

The most commonly used tools include a knife, a hook, a pair of scissors and a large comb. Once the weaving is finished, the carpet is then cut down from the loom, followed by trimming the pile and assuring the fringes are secured and stable. The final stage involves polishing, washing, drying and eventual last repairs.

The knot density is a significant factor that determines the durability of a rug. There are several types of knots, but the most common is the Persian knot (asymmetrical knot) and the Turkish knot (symmetrical knot).

The Persian or the Senneh knot is an asymmetrical knot, where the yarn is placed in a loop around one warp thread and remains loose under the other warp thread. Between every row of knots, the weft is situated in one or more rows. Thanks to this method, it is possible to weave the carpets with higher bunch density and more details. This knot method is commonly used in Iran, Turkey, Egypt, China and India.

As for the Turkish knot, the technique differs as this is a symmetrical knot, and therefore, places the yarn in a loop around each and one of the two warps. Between each row of knots, a weft is located in one or many rows. This technique is usually adopted for thicker carpets due to its stronger consistency. This knot is commonly seen in parts of western Iran by Turkish and Kurdish tribes and Turkey.

“Why should I bother to buy an oriental handmade rug, when I can find a similar machine-made piece for much cheaper? “ 

You might have found yourself asking the above question before if you have ever been looking to buy a rug?! Answering that question is not so easy or straight forward.

Machine-made rugs generally contain different synthetic materials put together with machines and typically some glue at the back.  These products, like many others, will last for a few months or a couple of years. Even so, deposing problems occur as machine-made rugs are not considered “green” contributing towards the pollution of our environment. Due to the synthetic materials used in the production, which are at times flammable, these rugs are prone to cause allergies in some cases.

Contrarily, handmade rugs, including our beautiful oriental rugs, consist of wool, silk, cotton or a combination of all, making them recyclable and among the “clean and green” products which are not flammable. Additionally, handmade rugs are not a mere product. Behind a handmade carpet, there is plenty of history and culture representing ethnic people who throughout hundreds of years knotted designs incorporating this task a part of their culture and habits. This fact often adds a mystic and romantic touch to oriental rugs.  Handmade, oriental rugs can hardly be perfect, but ironically, this gives them an extra charm that adds character to the piece. Whereas machine-made rugs usually look too perfect with no mistake with no particular style or grace.

People who have had oriental handmade rugs know that after a while it is difficult for them to detach from their rugs. If the oriental rug is selected carefully, correctly and kept well, they also have the chance to increase its value over time. On the contrary, machine-made rugs after a specific time will have to be disposed of, regardless of its original cost. Besides, as it cannot be decomposed, it will only add unnecessary waste pollution to today’s globe.

The difference in price can be concluded by the fact that handmade rugs and far more beautiful and complex to produce. As they last much longer, one can say that you are saving your money in the long run.