Best Area Rugs

 

The art of rug weaving dates back into ancient history. Unfortunately, not much is known about these first attempts at knotted rugs, as the majority of them are lost forever. The earliest surviving knotted rug is called the Pazyryk carpet and it was buried for over 2500 years, frozen under the Siberian ice in the Altai Mountains near the outer Mongolian border. In 1949 a Soviet archaeologist discovered it and it is now displayed in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Regrettably, the origins of the Pazyryk carpet are unknown. The carpet measures approximately 6' x 5' and is woven using the Turkish knot. The original design has a tile-work central motif surrounded by borders with rows of elk and horsemen and is thought to be a ceremonial procession, perhaps depicting a Scything burial ceremony.