Oriental carpets and rugs have long held a fascination for many people not simply the carpet cognoscenti. Perhaps it is the lure of the 'magic carpet' myth ably supported by the mystery inherent in the designs and textures - the rich vermilions and bright primary colours that reflect the folklore and spiritual life of the nomadic tribes who first weaved the pieces centuries ago. Decorated textiles have been found by archaeologists dating back to 1500 B.C. but it is the classical Oriental carpet and most specifically, the Persian carpets that excites the most passion in both collectors and dealers alike.

The artform began with the nomadic tribes of Asia for whom the weaving of rugs was a vehicle for the relay of their traditions. Each symbol was highly interpretive acting as a substitute for the written word. Tribes could be identified by a particular central symbol woven into the carpet which frequently depicted floral abstractions, figures of both humans and animals, but the nature of the nomadic tribes means that much of what can be deduced about the origins of the art is highly speculative, given that they did not keep written histories.

"The symbols and the designs are really pre-islamic I suppose and tend to have evolved from the animist cultures of central Asia". says Ross Lang, of Nomadic Rug Traders. "They were very closely related to tribal insignias and totems particularly in Central Asia. Often the same design reappeared amongst totally different tribes spread right across Asia - the stylisation and composition may be markedly different by there is a sort of universality in the symbol. Rugs had a dual purpose originally, they were used as floor coverings or tent doors and also as a means of artistic expression. As they became more sophisticated, they came to be rather like the Scottish Tartans in that they were a means of tribal identification and in this way, the aspect of symbolism was very important. Islamic mysticism translated these qualities to their prayers rugs - perhaps the original magic carpet was a prayer rug, who knows?