FAQs

Keep out of direct sun, use UV-filter window film, and rotate every 6 months. Low light levels dramatically reduce dye loss over time.

Vacuum with suction only (no beater bar) and blot spills with cool water and mild soap. For silk pictorials or set stains, call a specialist.

Choose wool or flatweaves and use a quality pad. Avoid delicate silk pictorials in play zones; reserve them for adult spaces or walls.

Larger fields or fewer figures help at a distance; small tableau rugs excel on walls. For floors, a minimum 5×7 keeps portraits legible.

Yes—treat them like statement art and simplify nearby patterns. Pull two accent colors from the figures to tie the room together.

Wool is durable and forgiving; silk highlights faces and fine outlines. Many pictorials blend wool pile with silk details for contrast and sheen.

Both work, but detailed portraits read best on walls or low-traffic floors. For display, use a Velcro hanging system with a supportive wooden slat.

Flip the rug—hand-knotted backs mirror the front pattern with distinct knots; printed or machine backs look uniform. Woven (not sewn-on) fringe is another tell.

Persian Kerman Ravar, Isfahan and Tabriz, Turkish Hereke, Mughal/Agra from India, Chinese Ningxia/Peking, and tribal Gabbeh often feature people and narrative scenes.

Typically no—many Islamic traditions avoid figural imagery in sacred areas. Use non-figural prayer rugs and keep people motif rugs in secular rooms.

People motif rugs depict human figures or scenes as the main design. Many are made to hang as “pictorials,” and fine silk examples show exceptional detail.