Oriental carpets: basic carpet structure
When you're looking at a hand knotted carpet, there are three things to look at regarding structure: the warp, the weft and the knotted pile.
If you have an understanding of how a carpet is woven and you can look at the structure and you can identify the different elements, it will help you to understand the circumstances under which your carpet was woven, whether it was from a commercial workshop or possibly from the loom of a nomadic tribe. It may help you to date the carpet. It would certainly increase your appreciation of what it is you have.
The first element to look at is the warp. These are the long threads of a carpet which run the length of the carpet. If your carpet is complete, they'll probably form a fringe at the top and at the bottom.
Related content
- Oriental carpets: carpet edges
- Oriental carpets: top and bottom
- Oriental carpets: carpet construction
- Oriental carpets: asymmetrical knots
- Oriental carpets: symmetrical knots
- Oriental carpets: counting symmetrical knots
- Oriental carpets: warp, weft and knots
- Oriental carpets: counting asymmetrical knots
- Oriental carpets: colour abrash
- Oriental carpets: colour corrosion
- Oriental carpets: colour variation
- Oriental carpet videos by Jennifer Wearden
- Top and Bottom
- Carpet construction
- More

















