Restoring rugs the organic way: Noor Oriental Rugs relies on tradition
By Travis Andersen/Correspondent
Staff Photo by Kate Flock
Fri Dec 19, 2008, 07:07 AM EST

Everything starts with the wool. Nooraee uses hand-woven spools, mixing them with natural dyes to replicate the true color of each rug.

The dyes include walnut extracts for different shades of brown, saffron for yellow and the madder root—which resembles a twig—for reds.  

He threads it by hand in a lengthy process— many customers have one or two-year contracts. Then comes shearing—removing excess wool from the rug—with a small blowtorch.

“You can burn the entire rug if you’re not careful,” Nooraee said. “This is why it takes 15 years before you can (shear) without direct supervision.”

After shearing, Nooraee scrubs each rug with a sangpaa rock. Only traditional weavers use the palm-sized, black rock to get a smoother finish, Nooraee said.  

He also repairs the fringe, or knotted thread found at the short ends of most rugs. He places the rug on a loom, hand tying every fringe knot, a process that usually takes about six months.

Area 4 resident Sally Haslanger, a repeat customer, doesn’t mind waiting.

“What a beautiful job you’ve done with that fringe,” Haslanger said on a recent visit as Nooraee unveiled one of four rugs that she had dropped off in June.

While Haslanger’s rugs range in age from about 50 to 150 years old, Nooraee’s family has worked in the weaving business for more than twice as long. And one thing hasn’t changed in over 300 years: moths still enjoy munching on handcrafted rugs.

So Nooraee soaks dust from the Persian Chenar tree—a natural moth repellent—into every rug. He recommends that clients reapply the Chenar dust annually.

Clients also have to protect their rugs from simple drying and fraying. Nooraee has a solution for that as well, applying a conditioner called Lanolin over the wool.

“Just as we have to get our hair conditioned, lamb’s hair has to be conditioned,” he said.

Conditioned, but not artificially rendered. Nooraee and his staff leave a few minor flaws—such as an irregular pattern, or a slight change in shade, on a small portion of the rug—untouched.

This preserves each rug’s antique look, and it’s a sign that true artisans spent time on the repairs. Machines could perhaps wipe out every flaw, but the rugs would lose their character.

“The weaver knows that only God is perfect,” Nooraee said.

He has restored rugs dating back to the 17th century, and the oldest rug currently under contract dates back to the 1880s.  

While the job requires long hours, he said that the occasional aches and pains quickly subside.

“The passion that we have at the end of the day is the cure.”

Mohammad Showing Rug Mohammad Nooraee of Noor Oriental Rugs, Inc. shearing a Persian Rug at his own Concord Ave. Shop Some of the many rugs at Noor Oriental Rugs on Concord Ave. Madder root power is used to dye the yarn during restoration process at Noor Oriental Rugs. One of the rugs that Sally Haslanger has taken to Noor Oriental Rugs on Concord Ave to be restored. Mohammad Nooraee knots a rug at his shop, Noor Oriental Rugs on Concord Ave. Mohammed Noorae of Noor Oriental Rugs shows Steve Yablow and Sally Haslanger the restoration work he has done on one of their rugs. The rugs were passed down from Haslanger's grandmother to her mother, and she and her family moved a lot when she was young. She recalls her mother saying "As soon as I put my rugs down, I'm at home." . Mohammad Showing Rug Mohammed Noorae of Noor Oriental Rugs shows Steve Yablow and Sally Haslanger the restoration work he has done on one of their rugs. The rugs were passed down from Haslanger's grandmother to her mother, and she and her family moved a lot when she was young. She recalls her mother saying "As soon as I put my rugs down, I'm at home."