Antique Oriental rugs – A buyers guide 

Chapter 2 – Things to consider before beginning the physical search  

Here are a few points that you would need to consider before embarking on your quest to find the perfect antique oriental rugs:

$10,000,000 Rug

1 – Budget:  Where you buy and from whom is an important factor. Antique rugs range tremendously in price – some of the reasons for this are as follows:
a) Quality – It takes longer to weave a new rug if it has more kpsi (knots per square inch) so naturally the finer a new rug is the more expensive it will cost. Antique rugs are different as the KPSI will only impact the price if you are comparing the quality of two pieces that are pretty much identical in every other way (the finer rug MIGHT cost more in that instance).
b) Size – With new rugs, the cost / price is directly proportionate to the size. The bigger the rug is, the more expensive it will be (as long as you are comparing to pieces from the same exact production line). With antique rugs this is not the case. For example, recently a piece sold in Christies London for nearly $10,000,000 and it was about 5′ x 8′ (The $10,000,000 Rug)… Antique rugs must be evaluated individually (based on a slew of factors – some of which are included in this article).
c) Condition: Please note that some repair and restoration should be expected when looking at antique rugs, but the general rule is that if the rug is in good condition it will cost more than if it were in poor condition.

16th Century Cairene Rugs

d) Age: As a general rule – older pieces are generally more expense. The age of a rugs is not the major factor when pricing a rug unless one is considering an early pieces (from the 1800′s and earlier) and even then there are other factors that need to be taken into account.
f) Current Design Trends: While beauty might be in the eyes of the beholder, there are trends, looks, colors and patterns that will determine if a rug is considered “hot” or “not”. America for example is a decorative market -  this means that “we” in the USA are driven by colors and pattern more so than by quality or “how good” the piece is in its essence. While the Europeans demand is for somewhat opposite since they want an honest to goodness good piece and the colors / pattern are less of a factor. One example that exemplifies this point is the fact that antique carpets in America (not in Europe) a rug that has a central medallion motif will cost much less than the rug that has an allover designed. Rugs that have well defined central medallion designs will generally cost at least 30% less than those that have an allover design.
Here are two images:

Antique Oushak Rugs

Antique Oushak Rug

Both of these are antique Oushak rugs from Turkey. They both have the same general feel and are about the same size but since one (Oushak Rug # 44475) has medallion it is far less expensive. The reason for this discrepancy in price is simple… in the USA we are fixated on centering everything – so if you have a rug with a central design most people / interior designers  feel compelled to make ensure that the central  design in the rug will perfectly aligned with the room and furniture which makes it harder to place.
Check back tomorrow for the third part of our Antique Oriental Rugs – A Buyers Guide