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Rugs 101
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Shop By Style
Shop By Room
Rugs 101
Cleaning / Repair
Newsletter
Contact Us
Showroom
Designer Services
Clearance Specials
Store Location
Store Hours
| Rugs 101 - Information Center for Oriental Rugs |
Antique Oriental Rugs
Antique Oriental Rugs
When shopping through the vast world of oriental rugs, its is clear that there is
an abundance of different prices, qualities, and types. When looking at new
oriental rugs, it is easy to arm yourself with a light education that will allow you
to determine what quality and price range you should be shopping for. With
antique rugs, however, more education may be needed.
Many people will ask "What's the big deal about old rugs anyway?" Antique
oriental rugs have an astounding value. Much like other fine textiles or arts,
rugs increase in beauty and rarity as they age. It may be hard to believe, but an
oriental rug will actually look better, feel better, and increase in value as they are
worn down and aged.
How do I know a rug is antique?
First things first- a true antique must be at least 100 years old. Dating the age
of an oriental rug is something of artistic science. In other words, it requires a
lot of time spent with your hands on rugs to apply the science of dating. ORRA,
Inc. (Oriental Rug Retailers Association) sets guidelines and tests for how
antique rugs must be presented and dated. A trained rug expert can date any
hand-knotted rug to within five years of its creation. How do they do this?
Oriental rugs show many signs of aging that are not apparent to the trained eye.
First, rugs designs change very slightly as time goes by. Weavers are born in
generations and therefore leave a mark on the design process.
Second, rugs will show minute signs of wear and tear. Wool and silk are
natural fibers, and will eventually wear down as they are used. A trained rug
expert can analyze how the fiber has frayed, how the knots have flattened or
rounded, how the spin on the yarn has relaxed, and how the color from the base
of the knot to the top f the fiber has changed.
Third, particularly with vegetable dyes, color may be analyzed to help determine
age. Wool and dyes are natural. Just like your hardwood floors or furniture,
they will change colors and properties with age as they react with light and air.
These minute changes can be sped up or slowed down depending on the
environment. Rug experts analyze the environment, fiber and dye type, and
property changes to date a rug.
Why are antiques more expensive?
Antique rugs are like fine art...one of a kind. They cannot be replaced, they
cannot be copied. Many rug manufacturers have created techniques to
prematurely antique rugs to mimic the old look of an antique rug. These
techniques have created many beautiful rugs, but none of which capture the
true beauty of a real antique.
As a rug ages, the wool softens. The natural oils come to the surface of the
fiber and the wool begins to "breathe." The rug begins to get softer and the
wool become shinier, more lustrous. The dyes will begin to mellow, taking on
the true look that the weaver envisioned throughout the weaving and dyeing
process. Particularly vegetable dyes will have dramatic changes over the
required 100 years. As the rug is used and worn, wool is sloughed away,
slowly wearing the fiber down. As the fiber reaches the original knot, the design
becomes very sharp, no longer pixelated or fuzzy as a new rug design can be.
In short, the rug will look better, and feel better as it ages.
Finally, an antique rug is a view into the lost world of handmade textiles.
Technology has changed the way the world makes art, and unfortunately in
many cases the art has suffered. Rug production has become very
standardized in size, color and pattern. It is becoming very difficult to find a high
quality rug that is truly unique. The old world of oriental rugs saw them as more
than just durable floor coverings. They were viewed as a highest level of art, a
view that is apparent in fine antique oriental rugs.
How should I buy an antique rug?
Find a reputable dealer. Tell the what you need for your rug functionally and
share your concerns about what you need from a rug. A good rug dealer will
educate you on the different types of antique rugs and how they are graded.
Make sure that your dealer stands behind any trade in or return policies.
Finally, make sure that you love your rug. It should be more than an investment,
it should be art underfoot. Once you can see the beauty in the journey that the
rug made over time to get to your floor, then you will have found your next family
heirloom.
When shopping through the vast world of oriental rugs, its is clear that there is
an abundance of different prices, qualities, and types. When looking at new
oriental rugs, it is easy to arm yourself with a light education that will allow you
to determine what quality and price range you should be shopping for. With
antique rugs, however, more education may be needed.
Many people will ask "What's the big deal about old rugs anyway?" Antique
oriental rugs have an astounding value. Much like other fine textiles or arts,
rugs increase in beauty and rarity as they age. It may be hard to believe, but an
oriental rug will actually look better, feel better, and increase in value as they are
worn down and aged.
How do I know a rug is antique?
First things first- a true antique must be at least 100 years old. Dating the age
of an oriental rug is something of artistic science. In other words, it requires a
lot of time spent with your hands on rugs to apply the science of dating. ORRA,
Inc. (Oriental Rug Retailers Association) sets guidelines and tests for how
antique rugs must be presented and dated. A trained rug expert can date any
hand-knotted rug to within five years of its creation. How do they do this?
Oriental rugs show many signs of aging that are not apparent to the trained eye.
First, rugs designs change very slightly as time goes by. Weavers are born in
generations and therefore leave a mark on the design process.
Second, rugs will show minute signs of wear and tear. Wool and silk are
natural fibers, and will eventually wear down as they are used. A trained rug
expert can analyze how the fiber has frayed, how the knots have flattened or
rounded, how the spin on the yarn has relaxed, and how the color from the base
of the knot to the top f the fiber has changed.
Third, particularly with vegetable dyes, color may be analyzed to help determine
age. Wool and dyes are natural. Just like your hardwood floors or furniture,
they will change colors and properties with age as they react with light and air.
These minute changes can be sped up or slowed down depending on the
environment. Rug experts analyze the environment, fiber and dye type, and
property changes to date a rug.
Why are antiques more expensive?
Antique rugs are like fine art...one of a kind. They cannot be replaced, they
cannot be copied. Many rug manufacturers have created techniques to
prematurely antique rugs to mimic the old look of an antique rug. These
techniques have created many beautiful rugs, but none of which capture the
true beauty of a real antique.
As a rug ages, the wool softens. The natural oils come to the surface of the
fiber and the wool begins to "breathe." The rug begins to get softer and the
wool become shinier, more lustrous. The dyes will begin to mellow, taking on
the true look that the weaver envisioned throughout the weaving and dyeing
process. Particularly vegetable dyes will have dramatic changes over the
required 100 years. As the rug is used and worn, wool is sloughed away,
slowly wearing the fiber down. As the fiber reaches the original knot, the design
becomes very sharp, no longer pixelated or fuzzy as a new rug design can be.
In short, the rug will look better, and feel better as it ages.
Finally, an antique rug is a view into the lost world of handmade textiles.
Technology has changed the way the world makes art, and unfortunately in
many cases the art has suffered. Rug production has become very
standardized in size, color and pattern. It is becoming very difficult to find a high
quality rug that is truly unique. The old world of oriental rugs saw them as more
than just durable floor coverings. They were viewed as a highest level of art, a
view that is apparent in fine antique oriental rugs.
How should I buy an antique rug?
Find a reputable dealer. Tell the what you need for your rug functionally and
share your concerns about what you need from a rug. A good rug dealer will
educate you on the different types of antique rugs and how they are graded.
Make sure that your dealer stands behind any trade in or return policies.
Finally, make sure that you love your rug. It should be more than an investment,
it should be art underfoot. Once you can see the beauty in the journey that the
rug made over time to get to your floor, then you will have found your next family
heirloom.