At the turn of the 20th century, amidst the “Century of Humiliation” which so far included: two Opium Wars (1839-1842 and 1856-1860) where western governments supported invasive commercial interests forcing China to allow trade especially in Opium, lasting from 1839-1917, creating millions of addicts and countless ruined lives; forfeiture of territory to Great Britain and France; the numerous gunboat diplomacy “treaties” forcing trade concessions at numerous Chinese ports; the seizure of Chinese territories by neighboring countries Russia and Japan; cultural and economic conflicts with missionaries and westerners displacing traditional Chinese ethos and values; the punitive and wholesale looting and destruction of the Summer Palace where hundreds of years of Chinese art were stolen or callously destroyed; and the Western led British and French’s crushing of the Qing Dynasty supported Boxer Rebellion, Chinese people were justifiable wary of interaction with the West.

Despite this, there were some American individuals who made their way to China and whose presence and character help initiate mutually beneficial commercial ties between China and the U.S. Among them were Helen Fette and Walter Nichols whose contributions and collaboration with the Chinese help channel the inimical and seemingly limitless Chinese artistic energies into  a new industry: the manufacture and export of rugs. From 1921-1941, Chinese rugs were made in volume an shipped almost exclusively to the United States.

Helen Fette

Helen Fette, a Vassar graduate of 1906 with a degree in Chemistry, moved to Peking in 1919 with her young family only to find that the job promised to her husband, developing a public health program for the Chinese government, had evaporated. Franklin Fette, undeterred and true to his word, proceeded with his work anyway. Pivoting, Helen took a job teaching at the Methodist Missionary School. Provoked by a first hand knowledge of the horror of the Famine of 1920 all around, Helen, after disposing of a rug for a friend came across the idea of organizing rug weaving operation. After a frustrating search, she eventually teamed up with a respected factory owner, Li Meng Shu in 1921 and Fette-Li Rugs was formed. Introducing a French design sensibility reminiscent of Aubusson and Savonnerie design schools and later adopting and adapting the French Art Deco movement, The Fette-Li Rug Company produced rugs until World War II.

“O, Ahuramazda, endow me with an educated child” (Arasteh, 1962, p.2).

“After more than 35 invasions over a 2,500 year period” (Postiglione and Mak, pg. 117), Iran has survived as one of the worlds oldest and most enduring cultures/civilizations. Despite being overrun by some of the most brutal rulers in history, Iran has repeatedly regenerated itself and began anew. Evidence from early Iranian cultures, such as the Achaemenids and Sassanians, to the current Islamic Republic of Iran demonstrates the priority given to education, how education over the centuries has contributed to the survival of Persian culture, and repeatedly contributed to the economic fortunes of Iran, both good and bad.

  Greek soldier and philosopher Xenophon’s first-hand exposure to Achaemenid society and culture in the 5th Century BCE as he accompanied and later took command of a mercenary army seeking to overthrow the existing Achaemenid ruler, is chronicled in The Anabasis where he undoubtedly became familiar with the legacy of legendary Persian king, Cyrus the Great from his fellow soldiers many of whom were Persian. His classic, The Education of Cyrus, still debated as whether written before or after Plato’s The Republic, provides a panoramic view of contemporary Achaemenid society and chronicles the rise and influences on disputably one of the greatest kings of all time through his intellectual development under the essential guidance of scholars in preparation for his inheritance of the throne. It provides an early example of education as an essential part of the cultural foundation of Achaemenid/Zoroastrian Iran.

Little evidence exists of an educational structure in Iran prior to the Sasanid dynasty (224-657 BCE). It should be noted that many modern scholars asserted that most evidence of Parthian civilization and culture was destroyed by the Sasanians after their rise to power.  According to (Soylemez, ND), during the Sasanian era Shapur l, after defeating the Roman Emperor Valerian and his army at the Battle of Edessa in 260, established the city of Gondeshapur, translated as the “army of Shapur” or “weapons of Shapur” in present day Khuzistan for the captured Romans. Contrary to a questionable early Christian source which stated that Valerian, along with being used a horse mount for Shapur l, was executed by having molten gold poured down his throat, and in another account of his death that he was flayed alive and stuffed, modern historians argue that Valerian along with his troops resided there and brought Roman engineering to bear contributing in construction of numerous public works projects such as: dams, bridges, temples. Declared the Sasanian capital during the reign of Shapur ll, Gundeshapur became the administrative center for the Sasanids. Over the centuries, Gundeshapur became a center of culture and science as scholars gravitated there. Over time different ethnic and religious groups emigrated there and made additional contributions.  Branded as heretics at the Council of Ephesus (431) and Council of Chalcedon (451), Nestorians, expelled from Constantinople and then from their new settlement at Edessa, settled in Persia and eventually found their way to Gundeshapur. With the closing of the academy of Athens in 529, western scholars fled and relocated to Gundeshapur. “The Academy reached its peak from 531-579 bringing together Hindu, Greek, Judaic, Syriac, Alexandrian, Christian, and Persian Learning and translating significant Greek classics in science and philosophy into the Pahlavi (Middle Persian) language.” (Postiglione and Mak, pg 116.). A translation bureau, library, observatory, and one of the first medical schools were also located there.

By the time of the Islamic Invasions of the 7th century ACE, the Sassanian government’s use of scribes, or dabirs, with their training centers, called dabirestans,  had implemented such an integral and successful chancery system to administer the state that the newly arrived Arabs from the peninsula readily adopted many aspects of the system and enlisted its secretaries and the dehgans, landed gentry who served as provincial governors, to administer the new domains further reinforcing the cultural value of education within Persian society. Dabirs covered a wide range of administrative functions during Sassanid times such as: official correspondents of the government performing translation duties and correspondence between governments, accountants, tax collectors, judicial secretaries, copyists, and as chroniclers who recorded daily events. Ultimately providing a means to exercise increasing influence resulting in the de-Arabization of Islam and its evolution to a religion respecting a multitude of different cultural, ethnic and racial composition,  Persians while not in direct control of the state, progressively increased their influence on policymakers and administrative decisions regarding Umayyad and later Abbasid Islamic Caliphates and furthered their own interests.

Limited to a small proportion of the population, the dabirestans were not the only educational system available.  Many of means also participated in the maktab system which was, in fact, the primary educational system available. Organized by Muslim clerics, the makhtab,whose origins are traced back to the 10th century, encouraged male-only students to memorize the Koran, taught basic reading and writing, and provided instruction for basic arithmetic skills. Further religious training was available for advanced students in religious colleges, or madresehs, established in 1066 BCE by Nizam al Mulk, grand vizier during the Seljuk rule (1037-1194) where the interpretation of the Koran, religious law, and religious philosophy were taught. Until the mid-nineteenth century, maktabs, madresehs, the dabirestans, and the bazaar guilds with their apprenticeship system were the providers of formal education in Iran.

At the beginning of the 19th Century, the Russian Empire, seeking to increase its holdings, invaded from the north and the entire territory of the Caucasus, then part of the Saffavid Empire, fell in two separate wars which resulted in The Treaty of Gulistan (1813) and the Treaty of Turkmanchai (1828). Demonstrably far behind the superior military and diplomatic prowess of the Europeans, English and French as well as Russians, and recognizing the need for change, the underpinnings of many institutions came under review, and in response, Qajar Crown Prince Abbas Mirza initialized a program of sending select candidates to Europe for education. Although still reserved for the chosen elites who eagerly vied for candidacy for their progeny, modern ideas from Europe began to flow into Persian society. 

Although dying before assuming the throne, Abbas Mirza had sown the seeds of change which were nurtured by the next shah’s chief minister Amir Kabir whose legendary acumen and intelligence led to further modernization within the country and the foundation of the first state supported institution for higher education, Dar al Funun or Abode of Learning in 1852 where among other subjects geology, chemistry, pharmacy, mineralogy, engineering and mining, and medicine were introduced.

Shortly thereafter, American missionaries whose work had been previously limited in the 1830’s over objections to their religious agenda, opened a series of schools among them the first high school which was to become the first college, Alborz High School, and the first formal medical school founded by Dr Joseph Cochran in Tabriz in 1878.  “By 1895, in northwestern Iran alone, the American Mission had 117 schools, enrolling 2,410 students. By the late 1890’s it operated 147 schools throughout Iran” (Keddie and Mathee, p. 186) including the first girls’ school, Iran Bethel, which in 1898 was allowed to enroll Muslim girls where foreign language instruction and the bible were taught.

With the arrival of the 20th century and Iran’s foreign educated elite striving against the Qajar monarchy for a constitutional republic government which faltered after Russian machinations in support of the deposed Shah Mohammad Ali and the world wide upheaval of the first world war, centralized authority was not established again until Persian Cossack Commander, Reza Shah Pahlavi assumed power. Emulating his mentor Turkish statesman Mustafa Kemal Ataturk whose program of secularization and modernization served as a model for state building, Reza Shah began the arduous process of creating a state infrastructure previously neglected by the sybaritic indulgences of Qajar rule. Over the next decade, numerous schools were established: law, political science, arts and sciences, theology, war, agriculture, and veterinary medicine which were combined into a single institution in 1934, the iconic University of Tehran which to this day remains the country’s most prestigious university.

Pressured by Allies during early WWll for his expressed sympathies and connections with Germany, Reza Shah Pahlavi forcibly abdicated in favor of his son, Mohammad Reza Shah, who at the age of 22 began his reign as titular head of state under the aegis of the Allies who accessed the southern Iranian ports and traipsed  across the country to ship food and supplies to the Soviet Union until the end of the war.

Picking up where his father left off, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi continued apace with modernization and made education available to the middle class and following WWll, universities were founded in many major Iranian cities, such as Esfahan, Shiraz, Meshed and Ahvaz. Unable to meet the demands for education, many students attended higher education institutions abroad with the United States being the most popular destination. Just prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979, of the approximately 100,000 Iranian students abroad, over 30,000 were enrolled in American institutions of higher learning.

Following the revolution from 1980 to 1983 all universities were closed and

de-secularizing Islamic reforms were implemented resulting in many faculty being replaced and when many universities reopened enrollment experienced significant reduction such as the 75% reduction registered at the University of Tehran. However, the system retained the basic organization of 1 year of pre-school, 5 years of primary education, 3 years of middle school, and after aptitude assessments, students were directed to either college preparatory, university preparation for engineering or medicine or a vocational technical curriculum for an additional 3 years, followed by 1 year of Pre-Univesity studies.

University entrance is determined by the Konkurs, a comprehensive 4 1/2 hour long exam which tests for knowledge and assesses academic achievement. Due to the stringency of the exam and the low acceptance rate of student applicants contributed to by limited space availability, many students take a year off and engage in a cram program, a thriving secondary educational industry,  in preparation for the exam. As part of the Islamization of the universities, students are assessed on Islamic studies, as part of the Konkur, as well as traditional academic subjects such as math, science, Persian language, and foreign language. Historically dominated by urban centers, a quota system was developed in the 1980’s allowing access for more students from rural environments. Criteria for acceptance has changed since the Islamic Revolution, along with the addition of assessment of Islamic studies knowledge in the Konkurs exam, a student’s acceptance may be influenced by their social and political and loyalty to the Islamic government.  In attempts to further integrate Islam into the educational arena, the Islamic Republic has recently promised that all students who memorized the entire Koran a free education, including a university education (Iran to Provide Free... 2011). In 2007, out of the 1.4 million students taking the Konkurs exam only 150,000 were accepted (Harrison, 2007).  With an admission rate of approximately 11 percent of all applicants, limited opportunities have created significant psychological and social pressures contributing to the phenomena known as Brain Drain or a mass exodus of the educated and those aspiring for a better education for their children. Harrison reports (Harrison, 2007) “according to the IMF more than a 150,000 of the best young minds in Iran are leaving every year.” Additionally, the gender make up of students has changed;

almost 60 percent of accepted applicants were women, as the participation of women in higher education has doubled over the last two decades.

Madrassehs, since the Islamic Revolution, have been revitalized. With the addition of social sciences, political science, history, education, mathematics, foreign language, and computer science, they have integrated an array of new subject matter in  attempts to buttress the institutions. Whereas in most academic settings learning is heavily dependent on memorization in traditional model employed by secular authorities , in the Madressehs the historic tradition of religious education which incorporates discussion, debate, and critical thinking are now being employed in the new subjects added.

The Islamic Republic of Iran now boasts one of the highest literacy rates in the Middle East with 98% of all 15-24 youth (male and female) literate, 15 years old and above men 89% and 15 years and above women 80% as of 2008 (Index Mundi). The enormous population boom in post revolution 1980’s has slowed due to government reproductive education but still provide challenges for the government to provide the promised universal education and post graduate placement.

In recent events, apparently in response to the vociferous protests after the 2009 election, enrollment by women at over 30 universities of over 80 different academic programs has been restricted from “a bewildering variety of subjects from engineering, nuclear physics and computer science, to English literature, archaeology and business” (Sahraei, Fariba  2012). Despite objections voiced against the new strictures, the government has cited that the vast majority of programs are still available and also called for a return to traditional values and for more children. With the upcoming election where a new President will be selected, the new candidates and their platforms will have one more issue to discuss.

Since the imposition of the latest round of ever tightening sanctions, the Islamic Republic of Iran has shown remarkable resolve in the face of mounting political, economic, and social pressures. Based on Iran’s historical ability to endure tremendous hardships, it is not surprising. Time and time again, Iran has demonstrated an ability to endure, adapt to new realities however harsh, and reconstitute itself with an integration of cultural influences and remain uniquely Iranian. 

Since the revolution, Iran has survived one of the worst wars of the 20th century, lost substantial intellectual and financial assets from the brain drain and weathered its international pariah status and accompanying sanctions because of its nuclear program, It has seen its economy severely handicapped by these sanctions and still managed to survive and strengthen its resolve for self sufficiency. Apparently the “big push” in education is producing results. After the Brain Drain of the 1980‘s and the loss of students each year because of the inability to absorb them into the educational system, Iran is still managing to make progess in education and is producing results. “Although starting from a lower point with roughly 1,300 papers in 2000, has displayed a similar trajectory following a notable surge after 2004. By 2009, Iran’s output approached 15,000 papers” (Global Research Report, 2011).  Iran’s history it is no surprise that regardless of the tribulation the country faces, it will renew itself and push forward just as happened so many times in in the past. Looking at the history of Iran, it is apparent that education is a cultural cornerstone for its survival and growth.

References:

Abrahamian, Ervand. A History of Modern Iran.New York, NY: Cambridge University Press (2010)

Amini, Iradj. Napoleon and Persia: Franco-Persian Relations Under the First Empire. Washington, D.C.: Mage Publishers 1999.

Arasteh, Reza. Education and Social Awakening in Iran 1850-1960. Leiden, The Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 1962.

Adams, Jonathan, King, Christopher, Pendlebury, Hook, Daniel and Wilsdon, Lames Global Research Report: Middle East. Leeds, UK: Thomson Reuters.

Farr, Grant. The Shaping of Iran Today. United States of America: Cognella Academic Publishing (2103)

Global Research Report (2011).

Hakimzadeh, Shirin. (2006, September) Iran: A Vast Diaspora Abroad and Millions of Refugees at Home. Migration Information Source. Retrieved from http://www.migrationinformation.org/feature/display.cfm?ID=424

Harrison, Frances. (2007, January 08). The Huge Cost of Brain Drain. The BBC. Retrieved May  30, 2013, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6240287.stm

Index Mundi. Retrieved June 2, 2103, from http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/iran/literacy-rate

Iran to Provide Free Education for Quran Memorizers. (2011, August 14). Retrieved May 31, 2013, from http://english.irib.ir/radioculture/iran/society/education/item/78609-iran-to-provide-free-education-for-quran-memorizers

Keddie, Nikkie and Mathee,Rudi. Iran and the Surrounding World. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press 2002.

Metz, Helen Chaplin, Edited by Helen Chaplin Metz Iran: A Country Study. Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress, 1989.

Postiglione, Gerard and Mak, Grace (Eds). Asian Higher Education: An International Handbook and Reference Guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997.

Sahraei, Fariba (2012, September 21). Iranian University Bans On Women Causes Consternation. The BBC Persian. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19665615

Saleh, Ali Pasha. Cultural Ties Between Iran and the United States, Tehran, Iran: Sherkat-e-Chapkhaneh Bistopanj-e-Shahrivar. 1976.

Shahrzad Kamyab. (2008, June 9). The university entrance exam crisis in Iran. Retrieved June 2, 2103, from http://web.archive.org/web/20080511181011/http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/soe/cihe/newsletter/Number51/p22_Kamyab.htm

Soylemez, Mehmet Mahfuz. The Jundeshapur School: Its History, Structure, and Functions. The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences Vol 22 Issue 22 (ND)

Tafazzoli, Ahmad. Sassanian Society. New York, New York: Bibliotheca Persica Press, 2000.

Xenophon. The Education of Cyrus. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 2001.

Wilbur, Donald N. Iran: Past and Present, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1976.

Nomadic society in Iran comprised about 25% of the population in the early 20th century. In the 21st Century, nomadism has been minimized to a great extent and most previously nomadic peoples have been encouraged to settle, usually somewhere along their migration routes. Prior to settlement, nomads exercised considerable autonomy and influence until Shah Reza(1925-1941) forced settlement as part of his program to consolidate his power through the use of aircraft. Tribes have been the been the source of leadership in Iran for most of Iran’s history. The Achaemenids and the Medes were tribes which had migrated from the Central Asian plateau sometime between 2000-1000 BCE. The Turkoman tribes of Northwest Iran and Eastern Anatolia under the leadership of presumed demigod Shah Ismail established the Safavid state in the early 1500s. Afshar tribesman under the leadership of Nadir Shah re-established territorial sovereignty during his brutal, brilliant, and thankfully brief reign in the 2nd quarter of the 18th century. The Kajars, another part of the Kizilbash (twelve-gored red hats) ruled Iran during the 19th century and spent the majority of their rule fighting off British and Russian Imperialism. During the Constitutional Revolution of 1905-1911, the Bakhtiari tribe under the leadership of Samsam al Sultaneh and Sardar Asad marched on the capital in support of the Constitutionalists against the Qajar Shah. in 1861, in his attempts to lessen the extent of political influence by the Ghashgai’, a Turkic tribe which probably arrived with the Seljuks in the 11th century and occupy Fars province, Nasr ed-Din Shah with the help of the British formed a confederation of tribes called the Khamseh which was composed of five different disparate nomadic peoples in Fars province. The nomadic tribes are often comprised of a number of different ethnic groups: Turkic, Balouch, Kurd, Turkoman, and Persian speaking peoples and often a combination of each within each tribe. Most of the nomadic tribes were confederacies with open memberships and developed in response to the rising authority of the state. The most well known nomadic tribes were pastoral nomads who would have a semi-annual seasonal migration pattern in winter to warmer pastures and in the summer to cooler pastures in order to continue to raise their large numbers of livestock, mostly sheep. Small tracts of land would sometimes be cultivated to supply produce for consumption by the tribe. The wealth of the tribe, the livestock would often be sold off in towns along the way on migration trips in exchange for material goods which they could not produce for themselves. “Grass” an early 20th century documentary format film directed by Marion Cooper, director of the original King King, in the late 1920’s, follows the Bakhtiari tribe which reputedly has its origins in 14th century Syria documenting their migration to sardsir or cold territory as the land on the lower plains heats up and becomes inhospitable in the spring. Numerous rivers are traversed implementing remarkable ingenuity; the fortitude and resolve of nomad culture is demonstrated as they cross the biggest impediment, the Yellow Mountain, Zardeh Kuh in their bare feet in the snow.

Nomads typically have used marginal land which is not good for farming and exploited it with their wandering herds who would feed on the annual vegetal and scrub which would be available. It is a very strict hierarchical society with a high status placed on which tribe you come from and exercising your abilities as designated.

Most nomad activity takes place in the Zagros mountains in Southeast Iran. Prior to the 20th century there was nomad activity in the Talesh region which used to be part of Iran by Turkomen and Kurds. The Balouchi are located in the Seistan and Balouchistan along the Afghanistan border. They trace their tribal origins to Hamzeh, the prophet’s uncle and many are Sunni. There have been a number of incidents in Seistan and Balouchistan province targeting the Islamic government which may have traces of Sunni and Shia hostilities. Lois Beck has two great books, Nomad and The Ghasghai’ of Iran that are fascinating reads.

Rug Brands

We have tried to limit the quantity of rugs on the website to keep the shopping experience pleasant and manageable. Originally, it was a smaller amount but we kept finding more and more we liked and couldn't help but add them. Nonetheless, there may be rugs from the vendor list below that you do not see on the website. If you find that to be the case, Please let us know and we will do our due diligence with regards to availability and pricing. Please email us at: info@rubiconrugs.com.

We proudly carry rugs from the following manufacturers (in alphabetic order):

Amer Rugs
Dynamic Rugs
Couristan
JMish
Loloi Rugs
Momeni
Oriental Weavers

We have a couple more in the pipeline but as now this is the list. Suggestions welcome.

Thank you.

We have made a concerted effort to offer our rugs at the lowest prices which compare favorably to other retailers' "Sale" prices. Also, we will do our best to match the price of any licensed dealer and big box/major internet retailer, specifically, Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, Amazon, Rugs.com, RugsUSA.com, Google Shopping, Wayfair, Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Bed Bath and Beyond, Crate and Barrel, and Target. If you have a price question during our regular business hours: 8:00AM-10PM PST Monday-Saturday, please call 503-462-4752. If no immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and we will respond ASAP. If outside these hours, please email us or call and leave a message and we will respond as soon as operations resume. We may surprise you with an early bird or night owl response. We want to help you make the best decision.

When it comes to new rugs, one of the best hacks for pricing is at Google Shopping. After you have found a rug of interest, just add the manufacturer size and style the prompt line and click.  Instant product comparison! Here: https://www.google.com/shopping?udm=28

We do have some limitations:

1) No other discounts can be piggybacked or added on.

2) Item must be in stock.

3) Price matching extends to authorized licensed dealers only. No discounters or boiler room retail shops.

 Thank you.

In nature, mutual symbiosis is a relationship where everyone benefits in their interaction with each other. Most of us are familiar with the clown fish and sea anemone and the bees and flowers, but there are many examples.  Ants and aphids, Pistol shrimp and Goby fish, Wooly bats and Pitcher plants, coral and algae, Oxpeckers and crocodiles and other large mammals, and our favorite, the senita cactus and the senita moth all engage in successful mutual symbiotic relationships. There are many more.

With each of the these relationships, all participants benefits. The clown fish gets protection from predators and the sea anemone gets cleansed of parasites. Bees get pollen to make honey and the flowers are fertilized. Ants eat the sweet excretions secreted by aphids and the aphids get protection from predators. the Pistol shrimp with its notoriously poor eyesight gets lookout protection from the Goby and the Goby gets a nice secure place to live. 

For us at Rubicon Rugs, we want to help participate in developing a mutually symbiotic environment where rug shoppers, in addition to adding a beautiful rug to their homes, can make a measurable and rewarding contribution towards rectifying an industry scourge. By forwarding 10% of the rug purchase price to GoodWeave (www.GoodWeave.org), we, together, can exert a direct and positive influence on the problems within the rug industry by supporting GoodWeave in their efforts to eliminate child labor in rugs and ensure a living wage for adult weavers. 

Let's do Good together!

We welcome your questions. Please email us at info@rubiconrugs.com. 

Thank you.

Why get a Pad?

It is sometimes tempting to forego adding on a rug pad when buying a rug. It is our belief that every rug should have a rug pad for a number of reasons, most importantly for safety. 

1) The rug pad keeps the rug from moving. No one wants to see a loved one slip on a rug. It is one of the biggest tripping hazards for older adults and new walkers and frankly, who wants the worry? 

2) A proper pad will slow the wear of the rug. Rugs pad reduce the impact of foot traffic and provide support for the rug. The cumulative impact of crushing by stepping on a rug is lessened by a pad. The extra resiliency of a pad slows the wear and tear on the rug. 

3) A proper rug pad will protect the floor's finish. 

3)  A low profile rug will feel more comfortable and luxurious underfoot with a pad underneath. 

4) Pets typically do not like walking or laying on hard surface and gravitate towards a comfy proximate place while enjoying your company. Older dogs with tender arthritic joints have mobility issues and a pad eases their discomfort.

We recommend paying a little more for a pad that doesn't image onto the flooring finish. A cheap pad made from the wrong materials can chemically interact with your flooring surface, leaving you with the major headache of refinishing the floor. 

Lastly, get the right pad for your rug and floor surface. Ask us, we're happy to help.

Thankyou.

We believe that people want to make a difference and just need an opportunity to do so.

Loloi Rugs, a rapidly ascending leading rug producer whose continuous innovation in style, color, and affordability sets an astounding pace with an enormous array of continually updated beautiful rug collections, has now partnered with GoodWeave as a licensed importer.

Important note: Only the handmade rugs made in India by Loloi are certified GoodWeave rugs. GoodWeave only has certification programs in India and Nepal. None of the machine made rugs are certified as child labor free; there are no NGOs that monitor machine made rug production. Again, Only the rugs that are handmade by Loloi in India are certified by GoodWeave. This information is detailed in bold within the description of the each of the GoodWeave certified rugs. Nonetheless, we are committed to the contribution of 10% of all Loloi rug sales to GoodWeave, both hand-made and machine-made. If you have any questions, please let us know by email at: info@rubiconrugs.com or call us at: 503-462-4752.

Rug Origins

The machine made rugs featured on our website are manufactured by established leading companies such as Oriental Weavers/Sphinx, Couristan, Dynamic Rugs, Concord Global, Amer, and United Weavers. These manufacturers have build their long standing reputations on the quality and consistency of the products they produce all over the world. Some rugs are made in the USA, Belgium, Turkey, Egypt, China. 

Standard Age Categories of Hand Knotted Rugs

An antique rug is at least 100 years old.

Semi antique at least 50 years old.

Vintage is between 25-50 years old.

 A New rug is 20 years old or newer.

Please note: The recently mainstreamed term, "Vintage" as applied to our rugs does not represent condition or quality but is only an assessment of age.

To spend half a minute looking at a rug is to waste half a minute, for the object was made to be considered at leisure, and in the mood of rest. Arabesques are meant to be followed. Series of tones may be observed at first in a like kinesthetic fashion, by remarking the use of tone at its allotted intervals, some green or rose reintroduced as leaf, stripe, flower and so on in a different environment and shape. There is constant appeal to the circumference of vision and the eye resting on one place should not be too definitely centered, for it is in the "tail of the eye” that the most interesting recognitions of design will be found."

Schoeder: The Art of Looking at Rugs

Rug Care Tips

1. Remember to periodically rotate your rug. This ensures more even wear and prolongs the life of your investment.

2. Move furniture legs a couple of inches away from the impression spot on the rug.  This allows the rug to breathe.  If a heavy piece of furniture is allowed to sit for a long time, the weight of the furniture tends to crush the wool underneath over time.  Casters are always a good idea.

3. If your rugs colors seem to have flattened out, try flipping the rug over and vaccuming the back. You can clean towards the fringes if you vaccum sideways; this way the ends of the rug are much less likely to get pulled up into the machine.

4. If you have rugs on landings, you should have a good pad. If the stairs are heavily traveled and the pad has lost grip or significant resiliency, consider getting a new pad.

5.  If you have direct light during the intense summer days, consider drawing the blinds to deflect the direct light. A full summer of southern exposure may fade the rug.

6 If you have a plant on a rug… well, we recommend against it but if you do, make sure you have an impermeable basin underneath the plant.  Plastics degrade and crack and Terra Cotta pots may leach color under the rug.

7. And last, if you have a portion of the rug covered by furniture, cool, and has little airflow, protect your rug from insects. Many container stores and big box stores have cedar blocks and oil you can purchase. You can also cache a couple of fistfuls of cedar chips from the local pet store and toss them into the questionable area.

GoodWeave – a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi – is the leading global institution with a mission to stop child labor in global supply chains through a market-based holistic and authenticating system. GoodWeave brings visibility to global supply chains, gives voice to informal and marginalized workers, provides assurance that certified products are free of child labor, and restores childhood to vulnerable children so they can laugh, learn, and play. 

Direct donations can be made here: www.goodweave.org

Important note: Only the handmade rugs by Loloi are certified GoodWeave rugs. GoodWeave only has certification programs in India and Nepal. None of the machine made rugs are certified as child labor free; there are no NGOs that monitor machine made rug production. Again, Only the rugs that are handmade by Loloi in India are certified by GoodWeave. This information is detailed in bold within the description of the each of the GoodWeave certified rugs. 

Also see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GoodWeave_International

Nonetheless, we are committed to the contribution of 10% of all Loloi rug sales to GoodWeave, both hand-made and machine-made. If you have any questions, please let us know by email at: info@rubiconrugs.com or call us at: 503-462-4752.

Thank you.

Our Mission

To build mutually symbiotic relationships between stakeholders in the rug industry for the benefit of all.