How to Identify an Authentic Handmade Persian Rug
- Look For The Origin As we have emphasized over this before as well, that with the increasing demand of these Area Rugs, there has been a considerable rise in its making, too. ...
- Inspect About The Color ...
- It’s All In The Knots (& On The Back, Too) ...
- The Material/ Fiber Used ...
- The Rugs Identity Means A Lot! ...
- Other Details/ Specification ...
Full Answer
How to tell if a Persian rug is authentic?
The following steps will help you to tell if a Persian rug is authentic, for a more in depth guide see our post on How to Identify an Authentic Oriental Rug. One of the best ways to tell if a rug is handmade when you are starting out is to have an example of a rug you already know is authentic.
How can you tell if an oriental rug is real?
If a rug’s tag says it’s made somewhere in North America, South America, or Western Europe, it’s not an authentic Oriental rug. If the tag says it’s made of any synthetic material -- such as acrylic, rayon, olefin, or polyester -- it’s not an authentic Oriental rug.
How can you tell if a rug is valuable?
Hand-made rugs are more valuable than machine-made rugs. The back of the rug will help a person determine if it is hand-made or machine-made. A hand-made rug has the same, vibrant design as the front of the rug. Knot Count: the more knots per square inch, the more valuable the rug.
What is a hand knotted Persian rug?
These types of hand knotted rugs are beautiful in there own way, but it’s important to note that unless the rug is made in the country of Iran, it is not a true Persian Rug. Genuine hand-knotted rugs are created by skilled weavers who spend hours laboriously and meticulously tying every single knot by hand.
How do I know what kind of Persian rug I have?
In short, a genuine Oriental or Persian carpet has no sewn-on fringes. The fringes form the end of the warp yarns and are therefore an integral part of the carpet. If you should see on the back of the rug that the fringes have been sewn on, then in all probability it is not a genuine oriental rug.
How do I know if my Persian rug is valuable?
0:522:08How to Determine the Value of Persian Rugs : Carpet & RugsYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe craftsmanship the materials it was made with so what kinds of wools. The age is extremelyMoreThe craftsmanship the materials it was made with so what kinds of wools. The age is extremely important and also the older the rug is and the better condition it's in then.
How can I tell where my rug came from?
Antique Rugs Origins – The truth of the origin is on the backside of the rug. This is why, when examining an antique carpet or vintage rug, most experts, after looking at color and design, will turn the rug over to determine its origin.
How can you tell if a Persian rug is handmade?
Check the material. Authentic Persian and Oriental rugs are always made with 100% natural fibers. Usually, this means a cotton foundation and pile made from wool, silk, or a combination of the two. If your rug contains any synthetic materials like polyester or polypropylene, it can't be called a genuine Oriental rug.
How can you tell if a rug is vintage?
Very old rugs will feel gritty, sandy, or even smooth on the back. A fine rug that looks tightly woven, but that still feels somewhat floppy or supple, is probably old, since even tightly woven rugs become supple with time. Color or rug dye quality can also help determine how old a rug is.
Which Persian rugs are the most valuable?
Antique Kerman Persian Rug The most expensive rug ever sold was an antique 17th century Kerman rug. The Clark Sickle-Leaf Vine Carpet sold for 33.7 million dollars at Sotheby's auction. Kerman rugs are a type of Persian rug woven in Kerman, Iran featuring a vase pattern.
Do authentic Persian rugs have tags?
A true hand-knotted Oriental rug's backside should also have a tag or sticker stating details about the rug. Authentic Oriental rugs sold in America will likely be produced in Pakistan, India, Iran, or Afghanistan.
Where are Persian rugs signed?
The signed Persian rugs come mostly from the weaving regions of Nain, Tabriz, Qum, and Isfahan. Top and center of the rug, either in the minor/major or main borders are where you will find these signatures and “Isfahani rugs are nearly all signed because of the competition in the area.
What is the difference between an Oriental rug and a Persian rug?
Oriental rugs are composed of rugs made all over Asia, including India, China, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey and more. Persian rugs are specifically made in Persia, or modern day Iran. Just like Turkish rugs are made in Turkey. Persian rugs also have sub-types just like Oriental rugs do.
What makes Persian rugs valuable?
First, the materials that go into a genuine Persian rug are of the highest quality — Kurk wool and Silk. The second contributor to Persian rugs' value is the mastery required to make; The process of learning how to knot a Persian rug takes years, and then creating one takes many more years, possibly decades.
How can you tell if a rug is good quality?
Line count is the number of knots or stitches per square inch. As the number goes up, so does the quality. Rugs with 200 to 400 knots per square inch are often good-quality rugs, though you can find rugs with over 6,000 knots per square inch. These are typically handmade, expensive and have a very detailed pattern.
What are real Persian rugs made of?
Quality of materials The most common material used to make high quality Persian rugs is wool. And, the best wool gets sourced from New Zealand. Rugs made with this wool are plush and extremely soft in texture. In addition to wool, modern high quality Persian rugs also include silk fibers.
How much are old Persian rugs worth?
The prices can vary, from less than $100 for a 2-by-3-foot accent rug to hundreds of thousands for the best antiques. "An area rug, 8-by-10, a new one, will average $1,400 to $2,200, and go up to $20,000," says Bahman Rais Dana. "For $1,600 to $1,700, you get a very good-looking rug that lasts forever."
What makes Persian rugs valuable?
First, the materials that go into a genuine Persian rug are of the highest quality — Kurk wool and Silk. The second contributor to Persian rugs' value is the mastery required to make; The process of learning how to knot a Persian rug takes years, and then creating one takes many more years, possibly decades.
How much does a rug appraisal cost?
Full written appraisal. These appraisals will usually cost a minimum of $500, if not more, depending on the dealer so be sure to ask about the fee before having them look at your rug.
How can you tell if a rug is good quality?
Line count is the number of knots or stitches per square inch. As the number goes up, so does the quality. Rugs with 200 to 400 knots per square inch are often good-quality rugs, though you can find rugs with over 6,000 knots per square inch. These are typically handmade, expensive and have a very detailed pattern.
What is the best material for Persian rugs?
Far more necessary to make excellent rugs is the quality of the pile, almost always wool, but sometimes a mixture of silk and wool or all silk. The wool used in the copies is generally much drier than the materials used in Iranian Persian rugs, over processed, and bleached of natural oils so that the dyes are uniform.
What is the effect of a Persian rug?
This effect saves the Persian rug from having a flat and dull effect which looks too perfect , almost machine made.
What is Persian Kashan?
The afore mentioned Persian Kashan is the most reproduced design and is made in almost every rug making country in qualities ranging from awful to excellent machine-made, and in many hand knotted grades. The expert can tell them apart, but only after looking at the back of the rug, which tells the buyer nothing.
Where are Persian knotted rugs made?
The bad news is that it is impossible for the layperson to discern between a genuine Persian hand knotted rug and a copy made in India, Pakistan, or China.
Do Persian rugs use wool?
However, the finer Persian rugs use wool that is better suited to taking dyes and much more suited at giving greater longevity.
How to tell if a Persian rug is hand knotted?
For one thing, the presence or absence of imperfections in the knots can tell you a lot about whether it is hand-knotted or machine made. Secondly, the texture and type of backing can also be very revealing. Authentic Persian rugs are always hand-knotted.
What does it mean when a Persian rug is color free?
When you lift the cloth, check if any colors of the rug have transferred onto the cloth. If the cloth is color-free, it is an indication that vegetable dyes were used in the rug, which means it is more likely to be a real Persian rug.
How to test if a rug is colorfast?
One way to test whether a rug is colorfast or not is to place a damp cloth on a corner of the rug and leave it there for a few hours. When you lift the cloth, check if any colors of the rug have transferred onto the cloth.
How long do Persian rugs last?
Making these rugs doesn’t require any skills. Moreover hand-tufted rugs are much weaker and have a lifetime of about 7 years. To determine whether a rug is hand-knotted or hand-tufted, turn it over and examine the underside.
What is the underside of a rug made of?
This is unlike machine-made rugs where the top pile of the rug is constructed from synthetic materials and the underside has a stiff plastic backing that’s added to hold it together.
What is a hand tufted rug?
Hand-tufted rugs on the other hand are made using a tufting gun to punch a design into a canvas backing that’s stretched behind a stencil.
How long do hand tufted rugs last?
Making these rugs doesn’t require any skills. Moreover hand-tufted rugs are much weaker and have a lifetime of about 7 years.
Look for the origin
As we have emphasized over this before as well, that with the increasing demand of these rugs, there has been a considerable rise in its making, too. Originally, Persian rugs are from Persia (you can even tell this by its name) which is known as Iran- in current times.
Inspect about the color
The color matters a lot when it comes to checking the authenticity of a certain rug. Every rug tends to possess different colors extracted from different sources. But, when it comes to Persian rugs, its colors are extracted from natural dyes i.e. extracted from vegetables.
The rugs identity means a lot!
Another very unique factor about Persian rugs is that its design and the name by which it is identified is based upon the place it was made. Iran is a place where the craftsmanship and culture is greatly diverse. Every other tribe and town comes up with the most amazing ideas of art and spill it all over.
Which countries have a tradition of knotting Persian rugs?
Even though these imitations are often of good quality, they do not reach the high standard and traditional knotting style of Persian rugs. China and India are well-known countries with a long tradition in rug knotting, but they also imitate special Persian designs.
How thick is Persian carpet?
The thinner a hand-knotted carpet, the higher its quality. Only very experienced knotters are able to make a very thin and flat carpet. Very high-quality Persian carpets are usually only 3 - 6 mm thick.
What are the most common traps when it comes to recognising a genuine Oriental carpet?
In comparison, an oriental rug is knotted by hand over a period of several months and is therefore much more robust and durable. It consists of natural sheep's wool, which in some cases is even colored completely with plant dyes. Here we have listed all important differences in detail.
What is hand knotted oriental carpet?
Every handknotted oriental carpet is a unique piece according to tradition. The knotter always brings his own interpretation or taste into a carpet. Even if a certain design is repiled, an experienced knotter will not be able to repile it by 100%.
What is oriental carpet made of?
In particular, traditional oriental carpets consist purely of natural material such as sheep's wool, cotton, camel hair or pure silk. The surface (the pile) is usually made of sheep's wool, while the back (the warp) is often made of cotton or sheep's wool. Very high quality carpets are made completely from natural silk, which can be recognized by its beautiful sheen. Machine-made carpets can also be made of wool, but often they are at least partly made of synthetic fibres. Especially on the back side, savings are made and cheap material is used.#N#If you find a synthetic reverse side of the carpet, it is an industrially manufactured carpet..
What is machine made carpet?
Machine-made carpets are designed on the computer and made 1:1. They are usually available in different sizes and quantities and are completely identical. Be careful if a particular rug is available in different sizes or quantities. Bakhtiar Persian rug with slightly asymmetrical shape and over 10 different colour shades.
Where does the material for oriental rug come from?
Whether sheep wool, silk or cotton, the material of a hand-knotted oriental rug usually comes from nature...
What does the bottom of a Persian rug look like?
What does the bottom of the rug look and feel like? Authentic Persian rugs are also called “hand knotted,” and so the back of the rug will show the millions of little knots that were made in the creation of the pattern. The back of the rug is soft to the touch and actually quite flexible.
How to tell if a Persian rug is dyed?
Authentic Persian rugs use only colorfast dyes. This means the colors remain true and do not bleed into one another. One expert said that you can test the colorfastness of any dye by simple placing a damp rag on a discreet area of the rug and leaving it overnight. If you lift it up in the morning and see no transfer of color, it is probably vegetable and/or colorfast dye, meaning it is also probably Persian.
What is the fringe on Persian rugs?
Persian rugs have those long fringe threads that were actually part of the “warp” of the rug as it was originally strung on the loom and woven by the rug maker . The edges of the rug are also “hand overcast,” and you will see no stitching but instead note that it is a weaving technique.
Can you buy Persian rugs?
Naturally, you may be very eager to buy a rug that is marketed as Persian, and you can use some of these tips. However, it is always best to consult an expert in Persian and Oriental rugs before making the investment. These rugs are works of art and you want the real thing that will last for years and bring beauty, value and function for years to come.
Is It From Iran?
Here’s one of the biggest giveaways as to whether a rug is an authentic Persian rug – it is actually from “Persia”. On a modern map, the area once known as Persia is now Iran and its environs. If a rug originates from Europe or anywhere else in the world it is not authentically Persian.
What does it mean to make Persian rugs?
Various religions are practiced throughout the tribes, and Persian rug makers believe that the rugs are made with a sense that God is watching them. Also, rugs mean income and that means survival to many of the people involved in the rug-making process in this country.
Where did Persian rug designs come from?
The names of Persian rug patterns are derived from the city, village, or tribe where particular patterns were first woven or traded. Rug design techniques that were made thousands of years ago have been handed down from one generation to the next.
Why are antique Persian rugs so expensive?
Antique rugs are often more expensive than newer rugs, but that is because of market demand and not because they are actually better. If you want to buy a valuable Persian rug, first of all, it must be handmade. Machine made rugs lack originality, durability, charm and investment. In other words a machine-made rug is not a real oriental rug.
What is the most expensive rug?
Because of the materials used and the time to construct these rugs—often a year or a person’s lifetime—silk rugs are often the most expensive rugs on the market. Wool is the most common material used in Persian rugs. Persian wool is arguably the best in the world. It is lustrous and superior.
What is the most expensive material to make a rug?
Materials: Silk is the most expensive material used, and the very nature of that natural material requires the rug maker (s) to create a rug with a high number of knots per square inch (1,000/Square Inch or more) than other rugs.
What is a hand made rug?
A hand-made rug has the same, vibrant design as the front of the rug. Knot Count: the more knots per square inch, the more valuable the rug. Design: the more intricate the design, the more valuable the rug. Materials: Silk is the most expensive material used, and the very nature of that natural material requires the rug maker (s) ...
How long does it take to make a machine made rug?
In other words a machine-made rug is not a real oriental rug. They are simply for covering floors. While it took at least 8 months to years for a handmade carpet to be made, it is minutes for a machine rug.
What color are Turkish rugs?
Red and blue were the two primary colors used in traditional Turkish rugs. Red and Yellow were also used in Central Anatolian rugs.
What are the main types of Caucasian rugs?
Kuba, Shirvan, Gyanya, Kazak, and Nakhichevan are the main types of Caucasian rugs.
What is an oriental rug?
An oriental rug is a generic name used to refer to hand-knotted rugs made in “ oriental countries.”
What is a flat weave rug?
They are made from a flat-weaving technique, a feature that makes these rugs flatweave or pileless. This feature makes such rugs lightweight, easy to clean, and affordable since they require fewer materials and time to complete.
What are some flat weave rugs similar to Kilim?
Soumak, Cicim, and Zili are other types of flatweave rugs similar to Kilim.
Why are rugs rich in culture?
These are rugs that have a rich cultural heritage because weavers created them from different ethnicities.
What is the primary material used to make kilim rugs?
Wool is the primary material used to make kilim rugs. Silk, cotton, and animal hair from goats, camels, or horses are also used.
How to tell if a Persian rug is handmade?
If you're still not sure if the rug is handmade, or it doesn't have knots to give it away, look for a signature in Persian. A professional weaver will often create their own distinctive mark on an Oriental rug that they've made. This can be done by using different colors of thread and two weaving styles combined together. When it comes to rugs, the term "weft" is often used. It refers to a horizontal row of wefts that connect one side (bound edge) of an Oriental rug with the other and can be seen on either end by looking for white or blue threads which are always in line with fringe strands. You may notice some areas in the rug are thicker than others. This could be a sign that there is an area of damage on the backside, or it just means you need to get your vacuum out more often!
How to Identify Oriental Rugs?
For beginners, it can be difficult to tell the difference between Oriental rugs that were hand-made and those made by machines! Luckily there's an easy way around this problem, A skilled we aver will often tie knots on their threads as they weave them into the carpet which is not done with machine manufactured products.
What is a grey wool and silk rug?
The Grey Wool & Silk Area rug is a traditional beautifully handmade area rug that is soft and plush with an intricate oriental design. Combining wool, silk and cotton together this fantastic eye catching design will add elegance to any room you put it in. Pile height is exquisite and is designed for the best time and great for price as well. You will fall in love with the silky and smooth feel of this rug. Place it in your contemporary interior and make your space feel relaxing and charming. Buy this area rug now to enhance the beauty of your home.
How to tell if a rug is machine made?
To identify machine made rugs, you can look for any rug with a flat weave and machine-made fringe. machine made rugs are different from authentic handmade rugs. Not all oriental rugs are hand woven rugs, some are machine made as well but an authentic rug would always be hand tufted due to its pure material and special hand craftsmen. Machine-made rugs have a much more rough feel to them, which is the difference in quality and appearance. The fringe on machine made carpets are attached by staples or glue whereas handmade rugs use knots that create an organic finish. Machine tufted rugs will often be lighter in color and do not offer any texture. To identify whether the rug is handmade, the machine made or authentic, there are a few things to look for in detail.
What is a brown Ziegler rug?
The Brown Ziegler Area Rug is a traditional, beautiful rug with gorgeous patterns. With a hand-knotted oriental design and intricate patterning, this lovely addition to your home will showcase both its traditional roots and more contemporary style. This rug is available in a size 9' 2" X 12' 2" to suit any room's needs, the pile height makes it plush and soft for your dreamy nights sleep without sacrificing durability or aesthetic appeal. Contemporary yet elegant as well as affordable, there’s no better time than now to buy!
What is an authentic oriental rug?
Authentic Oriental rugs sold in America will likely be produced in Pakistan, India, Iran, or Afghanistan. Countries such as Turkey, Tibet, and a handful of others may also be the production source of an authentic Oriental rug, but these countries generally produce lower volumes. An authentic Oriental rug will likely be made of pure wool (although some authentic Oriental rugs contain some silk or cotton) and dyed with all-natural, vegetable-based dyes.
Why are silk oriental rugs so expensive?
Yes, real silk oriental rugs are expensive because it is an investment that will last a lifetime. This type of rug has been known for its durability and the intricate details with fine knotting in every detail. For centuries, these high quality authentic oriental rugs have been used to decorate homes and offices around the world. These rugs are properly maintained as well due the higher quality material used.
