This review is intended for collectors, fans, buyers, bidders and retailers, distributors and  importers of Persian rugs who care about the impact their trading has on the quality of life of manufacturers from Iran, the country of origin. 

Many Persian rug makers follow processes compliant with FAIR TRADE PRACTICES. If this does not pique your interest and you do not feel you impact/bear goodwill in your consumer selections and behavior, please do not read on as this guide may not interest you.  

The brilliance and lure of the Persian carpet are sublime and legendary. Nearly all carpet masterworks are anonymous art for the ages, each carrying its own distinct narrative, culture and spirituality.  Please read on to learn more about trade and trading practices. Rumis Room will also shed some light on your rug selection, and from time to time, offer or point out FAIR TRADE RUGS for your viewing and education. You may see user id camp-fabulous for a few select rugs from a fair trade portfolio. 

During the time of the Shah, laws were passed in Iran that illegalized child labor. These laws were called the White Laws, and were passed in 1960's. Many people do not know of this legislative development in Iran, or are not aware of the rampant problems children face as forced workers in many parts of Asia, especially India and China. The North America demand for rugs often causes a push for cheap mass production, resulting in the unemployment of traditional weavers and their qualitative labor-intensive rug designs. Furthermore, machine-made rugs, which are poured into the American market, do not represent the detailed time-honored traditional master craft or use of the brilliant dye processes, such as the use of the wild madder, which produces rich warm reds. See Brian Murphy's The Root of Wild Madder for more information about the threat of madder extinction, or extinction of traditional process. 

Authentic Persian rugs are not machine-made. If a rug is advertised as "tribal" or "ethnic" and is not handmade, it is a reproduction.  If it is made by machine, it may save you a bit to get the look but please know what you are getting and please don't be fooled about its real authenticity and origin. Machine-made rugs represent the displacement of traditional work for weavers, dyers and rugmasters. In Iran, this work has been carried out by women for generations. Be careful about rugs toting "nomadic" design as most tribes are no longer nomadic or semi-nomadic and machines do not appropriately refer to any tribe.   

The best way to determine if a rug is fair trade is to conduct a search under "Fair Trade Persian Rug" or "Handmade Persian Rug" There are many options for your rug investment. You may want to refer to 10,000 Villages and other Fair Trade affiliates for Fair Trade rugs from the Asian Sub-Continent.   

 For many of the people who make Persian rugs, many of whom are women, it is devotional work. The rugmaster begins with some inspiration and completes the scene using her imagination and skill in order to deftly bring a vision to fruition.     

We are each magnificent and unique and dazzling in some way as are authentic Persian rugs. If you'd like your selections/investments to support small enterprise, please be choosey. Feel free to e-mail me for more info. I sell Fair Trade rugs and can source them for you. My supply is fairly steady but sometimes cyclical. Some of my sources for Fair Trade Persian Rugs have to be sold for the designers to undertake further design rigors.