Believe it or not, handmade Oriental rugs fall into the category of art work. Unlike paintings and sculpture, Oriental rugs can be used throughout their lifetime and represent one of the best investments you can make. They can be enjoyed as an art form, useful in their utility as a floor covering and represent an investment that may appreciate in value over time. They can also be passed down from generation to generation as it is not uncommon to find hand knotted rugs over 100 years old that remain in usable condition.
At 50 years an Oriental rug is considered semi-antique.
At 100 years an Oriental rug is considered an antique.
The 3 fundamentals of an authentic Oriental rug are:
• It must be made of natural fibers. (Wool, cotton or silk).
• It must be woven or knotted completely by hand.
• It must be of "Asiatic" origin such as Iran, India, Russia, China, Tibet, Nepal, Morocco; hence the term, “Oriental rug”.
Machine made Oriental design rugs lack at least one of these requirements and usually only last about 15-20 years. Where-as a high quality hand made rug, if properly maintained, can last 3 or 4 generations.
An Oriental rug may be genuinely hand made, but still not be of fine quality. The quality of an Oriental rug is dependent upon the use of the finest wools, the truest of color-fast dyes, and the most skillful hand-weaving techniques.
Some factors that determine the quality of Oriental rugs are:
• Consistent weave; are there flaws in the weave? Look on the back side of the rug to detect irregular weaving.
• The rug should lie smoothly on the floor; does it ripple, pucker or wrinkle?
• Consistent dyes; is the dye colorfast? Compare the colors on the front and back of the rug to determine if the rug has faded.
• Straight edges and ends; the selvedges or the sides of the rug should be straight and properly secured.
• Width dimensions should be the same at both ends.
• Well finished ends; is the fringe straight and neatly cut? Rugs with-out fringe should have ends that are finished in a neat and secure manner.
• Good long-staple, high elevation wool.
• High knot count; the tighter the knot, the higher the knot count and therefore the rug tends to be more valuable.
• Has the carpet been washed; this should have been a light soap and water wash. (Once you have purchased your rug it is best to let a professional rug dealer clean it for you).
Mark Gonsenhauser's Rug and Carpet Superstore
4153 Virginia Beach Blvd.
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Cleaning Dept: 757-333-1010
Store: 757-486-6600
Website: http://www.igotyourrug.com/
Proudly providing you Decorative Oriental rugs for the Hampton Roads cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News.
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