Knotting Explained

There are two major kinds of knots found in oriental rugs. One is the Turkish knot, or Ghiordes knot. The other is the Persian knot, or Senneh knot. A third knot, which is less used is the Jufti knot. This knot is considered inferior, as half the number of knots are used, therefore the rug is produced in half the time using half the amount of wool.

It is important to understand how to count knots correctly. Knots per square inch is a term frequently used as a gauge to a rugs quality. The number of knots per square inch determines the density of the weave and intensifies the definition of the design. In very fine woven rugs the design is as clear on the back as it is on the front and finely woven rugs are, in general, more expensive.

Counting knots on an oriental rug is easy to learn. On the back of a hand knotted rug you will see thousands of tiny bumps. These are the visible part of the knots that loop around the warp threads.

Turkish Knots