Present day Oriental rugs

The fourth development—and to me a sad one—is the almost complete annihilation of the true Persian rug. "Modern Orientals" are not Persian any more than a hand-hooked New England floral made in China is Chinese.

True, they are knotted in Persia, but they are called "American rugs" by Persians, and that is what they are.

"Design number so-and-so" is drawn in New York. It is sent, together with specifications for pile height, number of knots to the inch, color, size and quantity, to Persia where there are still many weavers, and labor is cheap.

The chemical dyes are shipped in too. If the importer wants a good closely woven fabric, he can get it. If he wants a rug to sell at a price, the weave must be coarser and the wool of poorer quality.