Persian Rugs are sometimes referred to as an Iranian's stocks and shares. There are underground storage facilities housing untold numbers of Persian rugs as investments for businessmen. Prized for their beauty and craftsmanship, Persian rugs were in scarce supply until recently when the United States lifted the embargo on imports from Iran. Today Iran produces more rugs than all other rug making centers combined worldwide.

We consider Persian rugs items of luxury used to decorate and enhance our environments. Although they are functional, they are not necessities. Centuries ago the nomadic tribes wove Persian rugs as protection from the cold that ravaged the tents that they lived in. Since the people were illiterate, the rugs were woven to tell folkloric tales and as a means of self expression. Persian rug weaving was a craft taught by parents to their children and continued to be handed down to subsequent generations. It also became a means of income for the family.

The folkloric designs on the early Persian rugs were very brightly colored. The colors were created from substances readily available in nature such as insects, plants, roots, and tree barks. Their formulations were well guarded secrets passed down through the generations. The process of making Persian rugs at that time was long and arduous. Although cotton came to be used for the warp and weft of Persian rugs, the herds of sheep that surrounded the tribes provided wool. The wool had to be washed and dried in the sun to bleach it. Then it was spun by hand. The wool was dipped into dyeing vats and then left to hang without being squeezed in order to try to achieve uniformity in color and later left in the sun to dry.

Today the art of weaving Persian rugs is still a craft that is passed down from generation to generation. Although we now employ modern technology for processing cotton, wool, and silk, hand-knotting continues to be done by expert fingers.