When people think about handmade carpets, their imagination often evokes images of sublimity, luxury and wealth. It is not surprising that these grandiose visions will ultimately lead to a generally accepted, but not entirely true assumption: That the higher the knot density of a carpet, the more desirable and valuable it will be when compared to a carpet with fewer knots.

The two most popular ways of tying the pile around the warps to create the knot and ultimately produce the carpet are the Persian knot (asymmetric) and the Turkish knot (symmetric). Spirited technical debates continue to this day among collectors and experts as to which knot produces the better carpet. It is generally considered that the Persian knot is preferred for the classic curvilinear designs as seen in the fine carpets coming from Qom, Nain, Tabriz and Esfahan in Iran, as well as silk weavings from Turkistan. The Turkish knot, being symmetrical and slightly larger (also called the double knot), is considered more suitable for the more angular geometric designs that can be seen in some Iranian and Turkoman tribal carpets.

The reason why many weavers prefer using the Persian knot when weaving curvilinear designs is that they consider the knot, which is asymmetric, to be small and tight, enabling it to define the carpet’s complete design with a fluid precision.

Having said that, you will still find carpets woven with the Persian knot displaying angular geometric designs and carpets woven with the Turkish knot displaying curvilinear designs. In order to check which knot has been used, bend the carpet along the horizontal line (weft line) of the tied knots and look closely at the base of the knots. If the pile appears to be protruding from either the right or left side of the tied knot, then it is the Persian knot. If the knot appears to be shooting upward with a clearly seen woolen looped base, then it is the Turkish knot.

A common misconception is that for a carpet to be of value it has to have a high number of woven knots. This is only true in certain cases, for example, when viewing Iranian carpets from Nain, it will be the fineness of the cotton and sometimes silk warps that will ultimately determine the density of knots. The finer the warp the smaller the knot, and so the higher the knot density.

A Nain Charlah carpet (the finest) has a very fine four-ply warp that allows the weaver to tie up to 1,000 knots per square inch. A Nain Sheeshlah carpet has a six-ply warp and will allow the weaver to tie up to 750 knots per square inch. A Nain Noolah carpet has a thick nine-ply warp that allows the weaver to tie up to 350 knots per square inch. Evidently, the fineness of the warps will tell you which quality Nain carpet you have and the expected knot count. The same can be said for a Tabriz carpet from Iran. Many fine wool and silk Tabriz examples can be found on the market. These finely woven carpets usually have a Persian knot count of 80 to 90 raj (rule) — that is, 80 to 90 horizontal knots for every seven centimeters. A super extra fine Tabriz carpet was on display at the Iranian exhibition in Jeddah a couple of years ago and had a measurement of 160 raj. Lower quality, predominately wool Tabriz carpets can be as low as 55 raj.

Silk Qom carpets from Iran are other examples of finely woven carpets that are created with many thousands of Persian knots. The knot density of these carpets averages between 600 to 800 knots per square inch, excluding those from the top three weaving families from Qom, namely Lavafan, Noori and Arami, where knot density is generally higher.

However, just because a carpet displays a high knot count does not necessarily mean that it is superior or more aesthetically brilliant when compared to another carpet with fewer knots. There are a number of small silk carpets from Turkistan that can be seen in the carpet shops of Saudi Arabia. The knot count of some of these carpets can be, a very impressive, 1,500 to 2,000 plus Persian knots per square inch.

Despite the hard work involved in tying such an inordinate amount of knots, these carpets do lack the fluidity in design that is seen in the Iranian and Turkish silk carpets woven with fewer knots. The Turkestani designs of these small carpets are usually too intricate and minute in detail and can be quite hard on the eye. Along with the light and occasionally washed-out looking colors, the aesthetic value of these densely knotted carpets, as impressive as they are in terms of a high knot count, is minimal. There are very fine silk Turkestani carpets that have much lower knot counts. The standard of weaving of these carpets is usually very good, and the colors and designs are attractive.

Another area where knot count is not important is in tribal weaving. Where the tribal weaver lacks the modern equipment and material that the town and city workshops have, the tribal weaver excels in other areas, such as being able to make use of locally dyed and hand-spun sheep and lambs’ wool. When the weaver begins to weave her little carpet, one thing far from her mind is the quantity of knots. It is a great credit to the tribal weaver’s ability that she can create tribal designs with full clarity and definition, and use only 60 to 125 knots per square inch.

To the uninformed, many tribal carpets with only 60 to 125 knots per square inch would probably be viewed as inferior when compared to some of the classier town and city workshop carpets coming from Iran and Turkey. However, this could not be more further from the truth. Many old and antique tribal masterpieces with few knots are very valuable due to their rarity, desirability, natural coloring, rustic charm and beautiful weaving. Dealers and collectors of fine tribal carpets have no interest in knot counts. Remember a beautifully woven carpet can either be a tight, densely knotted classic Iranian with a curvilinear design, or a loosely woven geometric tribal with only a handful of knots. All carpets should be viewed and assessed carefully.

So bear in mind that when viewing carpets, it is not always the high knot count that determines whether a carpet is good.

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