Persian rugs have beautiful and rich colors that are just so pleasing to the eye. But have you ever wondered whether there’s some sort of meaning behind the specific colors or how they’re matched with each other? Well, here are the meanings behind the colors used in Persian rugs.
Red
Red, the fiery and bold color that looks very royal and luxurious, is perceived as a hue that symbolizes a plethora of things. Subtle reds that are not as rich and bold, symbolize passion, sweetness, and love.
If you go up a bit and add a touch more depth to the hue, then red can mean power and vitality, and it also symbolizes strength in some cases. If the red color is rich and vibrant, like blood red, then you guessed it, this color symbolizes power, blood, and fire, a very powerful source of nature.
Red color is a very beautiful choice in rugs because it stands out and this color is exactly what it symbolizes. Power, grandeur, and vibrancy. Persians use this color in rugs on a lot of special occasions as well like weddings, childbirth, and other joyous moments and they’re also given as gifts in tribal areas to wish more prosperity and power to the recipient.
This color can also pair well with a lot of other colors and then the meaning can also be elevated. For instance, if you mix gold with red, it means royalty and luxury, and what a combination that is! This combination in Persian rugs is a definite treat for the eyes.
Green
Believe it or not, green is not quite commonly used in weaving oriental or Persian rugs, and the meaning behind it is extremely touching. According to the Holy Book of Muslims, the Quran, the favorite color of Muhammad, the Last Prophet of Allah, was emerald green. So, Persians believe that it’s downright derogatory to use this color in rugs and have people put their feet, food and other things on them.
So, this is the cultural and religious respect that green has, but that’s also not to say that it’s not entirely canceled out in rugs. Rather, it’s used as accents and hints, so that it can complement other colors.
As for the meaning, the color “green” symbolizes another chance, being born again, luxury, and wealth. Green also symbolizes hope and renewal and it’s one of those colors that have a spot-on meaning behind them. Because of this color’s religious standing, it’s used in extremely expensive and luxurious rugs and they’re mostly used as décor on the walls because they are magnificent and pleasing to the eye. Emerald green, light green, and forest green are just some of the many color variants used in Persian rugs.
Blue
Have you ever seen the blue sky and wondered how peaceful and still it looks? Well, that is exactly what is embodied by the color blue in Persian rugs. Blue is the color of peace, stillness, tranquility, and joy. Just by looking at the color, you will feel at ease and all of your stress and worry will melt away. Think of a better way to relieve stress than this!
There are a lot of variants of blue used in Persian rugs and they all have slightly different meanings. For instance, light blue is peaceful and soft. Royal blue has a peaceful note to it, but it also symbolizes power and luxuriousness. A true blue color is the symbol of honesty and loyalty and these rugs, specifically, are given to tribe members and families as a way to put trust in other people and to live together in peace and joy.
Since, almost, all traditional and tribal rugs Virginia are dyed with natural dyes, the same goes for blue color, but its sources can be different. It can be extracted from the Woad plant, but it does have a bad color payoff, so indigo plants are used to extract a richer color.
Gold/Yellow
If you can close your eyes and imagine what a color would mean, without knowing any background or history, then you can be sure about the meaning of this color. It’s in its name!
Gold or yellow is the color of prosperity, wealth, luxury, and royalty. It’s also the color of the sun and you know what that means. Yellow and gold also symbolize a new and fresh start, the break of dawn after dark, hope after despair, and more.
This color is not a base color per se because that would be too bold of a color choice rather it’s used as accents with other colors and it’s also used as embroidery to create beautiful motifs and designs on rugs.
Yellow is also a color of happiness and it’s used in the literal sense most of the time. At times of marriage and the birth of a child, red and yellow/gold embroidered rugs are distributed to spread happiness and joy to other people.
As for the color source, yellow is extracted from different vines and specifically ox-eye chamomile flowers, whereas real gold is seldom used in the making of more opulent and expensive rugs that are meant for richer families and tribes.
Brown
Brown is a very simple but warm color and it’s used independently in a lot of Persian rugs. This color symbolizes the Earth and the source of nourishment, aka the land, for all of the living beings on this planet.
The meaning is truly wonderful and heartfelt and the best part is that the color is sourced from tree barks that grow in the very soil that represents this color beautifully. Barks of various trees are used to extract almost all kinds of browns and the color payoff is also to die for.
Walnuts are also a great source for a darker brown color because the color is bold and it doesn’t bleed unlike most colors. The rug, itself, looks very warm, welcoming, and cozy when there are accents of brown in it. It’s truly a work of art and Persian people are great at what they do.
White/Beige
Although white rugs aren’t as common, they’re still made and loved by people just as equally. Beige is a more common color used in Persian rugs and the general meaning behind these colors is purity and innocence. These rugs are not specifically dyed but it’s untreated and unpolished wool.
Beige can be used in rugs on its own or it can be paired with different colors to soften the harshness of bolder colors like brown, green, and red. It adds that element of softness to the rug and it looks extremely beautiful.
As beautiful as these light colors are, they can get dirty pretty quickly and need to be cleaned more often than not. Because of this reason, not a lot of people go for this rug and they go for darker colors because dirt and dust can get camouflaged and you don’t need to clean them frequently.
Conclusion
Having a beautiful colored rug is one thing, but knowing the meaning and purpose behind the selection of the color is a sentimental feeling. Now, you will see oriental and Persian antique rugs VA with a new perspective.
