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RugStore: Classification of the rug
Classification of rugs differs from country to country, here are few as example in India rugs are marked using two numbers as grade like "5/40," "9/60," or "12/60". The first number indicates the knots in 9/10 (0.9) for an inch across the width of the rug. The second number stands for the knots in 4 ½ (4.5) inches length of the rug. Now multiplying 0.9" x 4.5" equals 4.05", it is approximately to four square inches. The calculation is easily made, multiply the two conversion numbers and divide the same by 4 square inch to know the appropriate knots per sq. inch. for example 12 x 60 = 720 and 720/4 = 180 knots per sq. inch. Where as in Pakistan, the quality of the rug is marked with numbers like "16/16" or "16/18" particularly rugs having Persian design the number indicate the knots per square inch across the warp and weft. For example, 16 X 18 = 288 knots per sq. inch. But the same is not applicable for Bokharas rugs from Pakistan as they are double warp and the numbers like "9/18," "10/20," "11/22," and "12/24" are different, warps lay side-by-side in this type of rug, two bumps are visible on the back of the rug, but it is a single knot. You shouldn’t double-count the weave across the width while counting the Bokharas rug. In China they use separate standard to calculate, they use "line counts" like "70 lines," "90 lines". It generally mean number of knots in a linear foot along the width of the rug like 90 line rugs have 90 knots per linear foot along the width. Sino-Persian has 56 knots per sq. inch for 90 lines and Chinese rugs usually have offset warps.