Kashmir carpet

A Kashmir carpet is a special carpet that by tradition origins in Kashmir (northern part of India under the Himalayas). Kashmir carpet is usually handmade and hand-knotted which gives uniqueness and originality to every piece. Kashmir carpet is known for beautiful and intricate designs with a wide range of colors. The Kashmir carpet design often includes oriental floral style.

History of Kashmir carpet

The history of Kashmir carpet reaches all the way to the 16th century when Mughal emperors came to Kashmir. When Mughal emperors came to Kashmir palaces, they were trying to find a way to make them more comfortable. The area of Kashmir is known for cold winters, and making the chilly stone-built palaces more warm and more livable was a necessity. Mughal emperors brought with them to the Kashmir area court artisans which included Persian carpet makers. Families of Persian carpet makers settled in Kashmir and have begun manufacturing Kashmir carpets. Because the Kashmir carpet production originated in the hands of Persian carpet makers, most designs are distinctly Persian with some local variations. Today, Kashmir carpets are known for their unique design and quality. Kashmir manufacturers supply the market with some of the finest silk carpets in the world.

Kashmir carpet characteristics

A quality Kashmir carpet should be handmade or hand knotted from pure wool or pure silk. A lower quality Kashmir carpet may be made out of a blend of wool, rayon, and silk (see the real silk test). Quality Kashmir carpet usually ranges from 600-900 knots per square inch. The more knots per square inch, the greater is the quality, durability, and the value of the Kashmir carpet. For intricate and complex designs, it may take as many as 8 months to produce a Kashmir carpet. Because it takes a lot of time to produce a Kashmir carpet, it is not uncommon for a Kashmir carpet to cost as much as 8 thousand dollars.

How to recognize fake and real Kashmir carpet

Kashmir carpets come in a range of colors, designs, and sizes, so it may be difficult to tell by just looking at the Kashmir carpet design, but in any case a real Kashmir carpet should be completely handmade. See the Persian carpet page and also the handmade vs. machine-made rug page for more tips on how to tell the difference between a machine-made and a handmade Kashmir carpet. The most important aspect of determining the quality and the value of a Kashmir carpet is the quality of the carpet fiber and also its knotting.

Many people place a Kashmir carpet in the middle of their living room on top of their saxony or berber carpet for decoration purposes (saxony carpet, berber carpet).