What Are Nain Rugs?

Persian rugs are a much sought-after kind of rug. They look formal and exotic and are comfortable to walk on. One style of Persian rug is a Nain. It gets its name from the city they are made in.

If you’re in the market for a Nain rug, you’ll want to know all about them because they can be pretty expensive. You’ll want to know what to look for to ensure you get a quality rug. You’ll also want a general idea of how much one will cost.

What Are Nain Rugs?

Nain rugs get their name from an Iranian city where they are made. Like all Persian rugs, they have a separate and distinct style that sets them apart.

These rugs incorporate a higher-than-normal percentage of silk threads and have knot counts of between 300 and 700. They are made with a soft wool called kork. The bottoms include a layer of cotton.

The silk helps give them a distinct blue tint, both baby and navy blues are common. They also have a lot of beige in them. In addition, they commonly depict animals and other elements of nature.

Nain rugs are considered among the highest quality Persian rugs. The weaver who makes a Nain rug often signs it.

Among styles of Persian rugs, Nain rugs are considered fairly new. Before the 1930s, the area around Nain was known for high-quality wool cloth, but the clothing industry fell on hard times and weavers switched to making rugs.

By the 1930s, the distinctive Nain style emerged. As a result, no Nains today have hit the 100-year mark to qualify as antiques. They can also be quite expensive.

What Color Is Nain?

Nain rugs are multi-color rugs like all Persian rugs. But Nain rugs are also known for their distinctive blue coloring.

Nain rugs incorporate baby and navy blues. They get their distinctive blues from a higher-than-normal count of silk threads in their weave.

What Is Nain Wool?

Nain rugs stand out from other Persian rugs in the high amounts of silk used to make them, but they are also known for incorporating a special kind of wool called kork.

Kork wool is a soft, high-quality wool used in the best Persian rugs. Each region with a distinct style of Persian rug lends its name to describe the kork used. Nain kork is kork wool used in Nain rugs.

Where Do Nain Rugs Come From?

Nain rugs come from the area around the Iranian city of Nain. Early on, they were called Isfahan rugs, a bigger and more prominent city nearby.

They are also a relatively new style of Persian rug. The city was once known for its wool cloth, but in the early 20th century area weavers started to make it into rugs. By the 1930s, rug makers had developed a style that today we associate with Nain rugs.

Are Nain Rugs Persian?

Persian rugs have been around for a very long time. While the first rugs from the region date back to before the advent of Islam, it was in the period starting in the 1500s that the style we associate with Persian rugs took off.

Compared with some different types of Persian rugs, Nain rugs are newcomers. Up until the 20th Century, the area around Nain was associated with high-quality wool cloth. But, the clothing industry fell on hard times around the turn of the century and weavers turned to rugs.

The distinctive Nain look took shape in the 1930s. So, while they are fairly new among Persian rugs, Nain rugs are Persian rugs.

Are Nain Rugs Worth It?

Whether or not a rug is worth it will depend on your own personal tastes. That’s between you, your sense of taste, and your checking account. A vintage Nain rug can cost more than $10,000.

If you have a home full of valuable antiques and high-quality building materials, spending money on an exquisite rug can help pull a look together. Just don’t spend a ton of money on a rug that will get a lot of traction and could easily get ruined.

Mass-produced rugs that mimic the Nain look are available for less than $100 at big box stores, so that’s always an option if you don’t want to spend a lot of money. They aren’t technically Nain rugs, but they look very similar.

How Much Are Nain Rugs?

There is a wide range of prices for Nain rugs. An older Nain rug that is closing in on its 100th year— necessary for it to be considered a true antique— will cost a small fortune. A Nain rug you pick up from a big box store will cost less than $100.

The one you get from a big box store won’t technically be a real Nain rug, of course. It won’t have the 300-knot count necessary to qualify and it will be constructed out of synthetic materials, not cotton and wool.

We include them as an option because you wouldn’t want to spend more than $1,000 on a rug that will go in a living room where small children might spill drinks or pets might have accidents. 

Conclusion

A genuine Nain rug costs a lot of money, but if you’re looking for a top-notch Persian style, they are worth every penny. Nain rugs cost a lot of money because of their unique construction and the artisanship that went into making them.

Of course, if you just want the look without the expense, you can find a domestic rug made from cheaper materials that was mass-produced in a factory. That might even be preferable if you plan to put it where it will be around kids and pets.

If you feel better informed about Nain rugs, feel free to leave a comment down below or share this article on your social media networks.