The Cohen workshop knowledge library.
A reference on the great hand-knotted rug-weaving traditions — Persian, Turkish, French, silk, antique, Tibetan, Moroccan, Chinese Art Deco — and how to identify, care for, and restore them. Written by the family that hand-washes them.
Three great hand-knotted traditions.
Persia, Turkey, and France produced the three pillars of fine hand-knotted carpet weaving. Each guide covers the workshop traditions, construction, history, and care.
Persian Rugs
Tabriz, Kashan, Heriz, Isfahan, Bijar, Sarouk, Nain, Kerman, Qum. The great workshops of Iran.
Turkish Rugs
Oushak, Hereke. Workshop and silk traditions of Anatolia and the Ottoman court.
French Rugs
Aubusson tapestry flatweave and Savonnerie hand-knotted pile. Court tradition since 1627.
Six specialty rug-type guides.
Beyond the three pillar families, six standalone traditions worth understanding before you collect, restore, or hand-wash a piece.
Silk Rugs
Hereke, Qum, Persian silk, antique Chinese silk.
Antique Rugs
Hand-knotted carpets woven before 1925.
Tibetan Rugs
The cut-loop Senna knot. Himalayan wool tradition.
Moroccan Rugs
Beni Ourain, Boucherouite, Berber kilim flatweaves.
Chinese Art Deco Rugs
Tientsin workshops, 1920s-30s. Nichols and Fette.
Needlepoint Rugs
Hand-stitched canvas floor coverings. European tradition.
How to tell what you have — and how it's made.
Five practical guides. Identify a real Persian. Tell silk from wool. Run a burn test. Distinguish hand-knotted from machine. Understand the eight steps of hand-knotting.
How to Identify a Persian Rug
Seven tests — knot, fringe, fiber, dye, design tradition.
Silk vs Wool: How to Tell
Five quick tests in under a minute.
The Rug Fiber Burn Test
A 30-second non-destructive yarn test.
Hand-Knotted vs Machine-Made
Five tests to tell them apart.
How a Hand-Knotted Rug Is Made
From sheared wool through finished rug — eight steps.
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Once you've identified what you have, the next step is hand-washing it. Complimentary pickup from Manhattan, the Hamptons, Westchester, Greenwich, and Stamford.
Call (914) 229-9147