Colour Symbolism

Traditional and religious meanings of colors sometimes affect the choice of colors used in handmade rugs. Green, for example, is considered by Muslims to be a holy color; therefore, until the end of 19th century, it was mainly used in prayer rugs.However, at the end of the 19th century, in order to comply with Western taste, numerous decorative rugs containing green were produced for exportation. Red, the most widely used rug color, means happiness and joy. Yellow and gold are Chinese royal colors and symbolize wealth and power. Dark blue signifies solitude. White is symbol of mourning, peace, and purity in Persia, China, and India, and brown, the color of earth, symbolizes harvest and fertility. Today, however, as stated above, because of exportation, color symbolism is not observed to the same extent, but it can still be seen, mostly in rugs produced for local use.