One generally differentiates between a woven carpet (Kilim), and a knotted carpet, with which the knot yarns are looped around the warp threads (
Knotting).
Oriental carpets of individual countries of origin can be classified into the following fundamental types: manufactory, nomadic, village and designer carpets.
I. Manufactory carpets
Manufactory carpets have a long and famous tradition and do exist in all carpet countries. They are manufactured in well-organised enterprises, and in nearly all formats, up to an impressive oversize. A lot of magnificent carpets originated in court manufactories of Ottoman and Persian empires during the gloss time of the oriental carpet in the 16th and 17th centuries. Ever more tight knotting and complicated designs were developed. Carpet designers have always been outstanding artists. They are used to drawing their new drafts on graph paper, so that the weaver can then transfer each drawn-in knot accurately.
The exclusive art of carpet knotting was naturally brought also into other countries, like e.g. India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, China etc., and imitated there. Thus, today's finest carpets do not only come from Turkey or Persia.
II. Nomadic carpets
Nomadic carpets still play a large role in the countries of origin. Wandering tribes, herders and stock farmers travel in Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the adjacent areas from one pasture place to another. While the men dedicate themselves to cattle breeding, the women take care of carpet weaving.
When changing the resting places, weaving chairs must frequently be set and diminished again. Thus it comes to irregularities in the sample, which still increases however the attraction of an original carpet. Completely individual compositions are created without any pre-existing draft. Their colors and pattern are handed down through generations and reflect in its statement their lifestyle, culture, figures and surrounding landscapes.
III. Village carpets
Carpets that are produced by settled villagers in simple home work are called village carpets. Partially on one's own, but also on behalf of different enterprises, they manufacture carpets that typify their style. Their patterns remind us of those of the nomads.
While nomads basically use wool for the warp and weft of their small-sized carpets, villagers also use cotton. The sizes reach up to 12 square meters. Quite fine motives are partly used, which require certain precision and strongly differ in kind from the simpler village carpets. Generally speaking both types are still quite common.
IV. Designer or contemporary carpets
Besides oriental patterned carpets there are new creations and exquisite designer carpets, which are oriented exclusively to fashion trends and are naturally subject to constant change.
Varied motives of modern painters for example are replicated as hand-knotted carpets. With it one reaches a new target group - buyers, who do not like traditional oriental carpets yet appreciate a sophisticated interior.