Is The Term Oriental Rug Offensive To Asians People?
- Renaissance
- May 17, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 13
We’ve all heard the term Oriental rug—those beautiful, durable hand-woven area rugs made from natural materials, known for their intricate patterns and centuries-old craftsmanship. They’ve adorned American living rooms and dining spaces for generations. But when it comes to the word Oriental—especially when referring to people—what’s the story? Is it outdated, offensive, or simply misunderstood? And while we’re at it… should we call these rugs Asian rugs instead?
A brief history.
The word Orient comes from the Latin Oriens (or Orientalis), which literally means “the East.” You’ve probably heard of the Orient Express, the famed train route from Paris to Istanbul, or seen antique maps that label vast territories east of Europe as “the Orient.”
Its counterpart? Occidens, or the West—Occidental.
But the term’s roots go much deeper or rather much older.
Oriental was first used as a geographic designation during the Roman Empire under Emperor Diocletian (reigning from 284 to 305 AD). The empire was split into administrative regions—including the Diocese of the Orient, which encompassed parts of what we now know as Greece, Egypt, Libya, Romania, Serbia, and more. People from those regions were known as Oriental , and west of Rome as Occidental —not in reference to race, but simply geography.
So when did things shift?
Over time, as colonial powers expanded eastward and the West developed a mystified and exoticized view of Asia, the word Oriental began to carry more cultural spin—especially in Western discourse. In modern contexts, referring to people of Asian descent as Oriental is not only inaccurate but often considered disrespectful and outdated.
When it comes to rugs, however, the term persists—and in that context, it’s historically tied to the traditional weaving regions of Asia, including Persia (Iran), India, China, Turkey, and Central Asia. Still, some now prefer the more culturally neutral terms Asian rugs or hand-knotted rugs.
So, should we stop calling them Oriental rugs?
Over time, the geographic location of "the Orient" gradually shifted eastwards, and the term Oriental stuck, while the term Occidental meant east, not so much. Oriental continually shifted east until It finally reached the Pacific Ocean, in what Westerners came to call "the Far East." Go far enough east,one hits the west coast of America? Perhaps we all live in the Orient? Eventually, the classic Roman area of Orientalis became known as the Levant, and Oriental moved eastward. Today, we think of Orientalis or orientals as a central Asian area.
Commonly referenced as countries of China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mongolia, and Laos. While excluding classic countries in the Orient such as Iran, Armenian, Turkey, Egypt, and Greece
Is the term Oriental derogatory or offensive?
The word oriental isn't descriptive of specific people; it's a vague geographic term, and even then, it's not very accurate or precise. The classic Orient is a vast and subjective geographical area, and its people, White, Black, Brown, Asian, and islanders, encompass many religions: Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Hindu, Buddhist, Agnostic, and Atheist. Used to describe East Asians or Asians in general is not accurate because many ethnographic people lived in the Orient other than people from the Far East.
We don't refer to Europeans or their descendants as Occidentals for the same reason the term is too vague and unspecific. It also encompasses the people of West Africa. Regardless the term has fallen out of favor since it's not specific to race, location or to describe accurately the diverse cultures that make Occidental or Oriental.
Referring to Asian Americans as oriental isn't accurate, but is calling them Oriental an insult? Some Asian people may be offended. I asked a friend of Japanese descent, and he was indifferent to being called Asian or Oriental and followed up by saying I'm American.
For me, I don't use the term to describe people or even the places they come from; it's too vague and inaccurate, it's not that i'm self righteous the term just doesn't fit specific people or asian people. While the term has a long history of use, it's outdated.
I still use the word oriental when talking about rugs. In the rug world, we have many confusing terms, and the word oriental is one of them.
Oriental Rugs
The term Occidental slowly disappeared from the rug dealer lingo it was used briefly in the rug trade, but since the bulk of rug weaving happens in the classic area of the Oriens, the word oriental stuck.
Their unique patterns became popular in home decor, and Oriental area rugs became popular in American homes because of their durable construction and intricate designs. Consumers soon realized that Oriental rugs were good-wearing, and they became popular by the 1930s; the classic American living room and dining room had an oriental rug.
Today, the term Oriental rugs has become a blanket term for hand-woven rugs, even modern oriental rugs made in the rug weaving belt with natural materials of wool, cotton, and silk. Morrocan rugs made in N. Africa and are technically occidental rugs, but today we call them oriental rugs. The modern rug world Oriental rug transcends geography, ethnicity, religion, gender, and politics; it's become its own thing. Today, the Oriental rug is a way to categorize a large group of hand-woven rugs made in a vast area from Morocco to China, and nothing more. The term does not reference people who weave rugs; it's a floor-covering category, meaning a hand-woven rug; it's a thing.
Is oriental rug offensive as a term? No, perhaps people understand that the term is the real issue and inappropriately apply it to Asian people
What about Persian rugs?
In 1935, Persia changed its name to Iran. From a technical standpoint, a Persian rug is a rug woven in Iran before 1935, and after, they are Iranian rugs.
However, people still use the term Persian for newer Iranian rugs. Iran's dominance in rug weaving and history as the top rug-weaving export country for centuries is well noted. Because of this, some classify Persian or Iranian rugs as separate from oriental rugs.
The thing to remember is that all Persian rugs are oriental rugs, but not all oriental rugs are Persian rugs. To be a Persian rug, it must be woven in modern-day Iran Or Iran before 1935. You see where I'm going here, it can be confusing.
Are Kilim Rugs Oriental Rugs?
Kilim rugs are a type of oriental rug woven in a weft or slit tapestry weave; Turkey is well known for their Turkish rugs made in Kilim weave. Due to their weave structure being less durable than pile orientals, these rugs are better in lower traffic environments and fit bedroom décor or under a coffee table. Chairs sliding across a kilim, such as under a dining room table, can quickly damage a kilim. The perfect rug for a dining room is a thick dense rug.
What's Not an Oriental Rug?
Our "new" modern interpretation of the Oriental rug is a type of rug construction made on a warped loom with hand-tied knots. What isn't an Oriental rug hand-tufted, hand-loomed, machine-made, or rug, regardless of where it is made outside the rug weaving belt from Morrcco to China? For example, there is rug weaving in Mexico around the town of Temoaya, near Mexico City. It is not an Oriental rug because it's not woven in the classic area. It's Meso-American weaving.
One might say the term Oriental rug has specific requirements for its origin but is irrelevant to the ethnicity of those who make oriental rugs; the term transcends such things.
Comments