Frequently Asked Questions about Antique Oriental Rugs and Persian Carpets

QUESTION: How does one define an "Antique" Oriental rug?

ANSWER: Various experts will answer this question in different ways. The definition of a rug, or often any item, being an "antique" once it is 100 years old is sometimes advanced. This makes some sense, in that it at least is a set and objective amount of time. However, it is less than optimal, as it overlooks the artistry or production methods reflecting a given period. One might reasonably hesitate to include mass produced or even machine made items, rugs or examples from other categories in the fine or decorative arts, as "antiques" simply because they had survived 100 years. Another theory is that an "antique" oriental rug is a rug woven prior to 1900. We find there to be at least two issues with this definition. First, the pre-1900 definition worked better while we were still lving in the 20th century. There was a clear date separating rugs woven in the 19th century and rugs woven in the 20th century. However, now that we live in the 21rst century, 20th century rugs have not become "antiques" simply because we are in a different century. Beyond that, there is another issue with the pre-1900 theory. No pivotal changes occured in the weaving of oriental rugs (especially Persian rugs) between December of 1899 and January of 1900; or, for that matter, between 1900 and 1901. We sometimes define "antique" furniture as furniture made prior to the Industrial Revolution, where methods of manufacture changed substantially. Persian rugs, however, were at their pinnacle during the Safavid Dynasty from the early 16th through early 18th centuries. These, clearly, should be considered "antique Persian rugs". After the fall of the Safavid rulers, Court patronage of rugs declined, and it was not until the 1870s that production for export ramped up in a considerable way. This sort of "Renaissance" period in Persian carpet manufacture continued, with some stylistic changes or modifications, until about the time of the First World War. Led by the Anglo-Swiss firm Ziegler & Company who commissioned carpets in Central Persia's Sultanabad province, the Mohtahsem family operating in Keshan and other workshops around Persia, this approximately 45 year time frame marked a period of great artistic creativity in Persian village cottage industry and city workshop production, while the nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes still retained a cultural heritage of rug weaving for indigenous use or trade. With the invention of synthetic dyes in England in the 1860s, non-natural dyes were gradually introduced into oriental carpet production starting, seemingly, as early as the 1870s. However, this trend increased after the First World War, and even moreso after the Second World War. Weavers also began to modify the designs, frequently into busier, less artistic formats. As both the artistry of design and the use of natural dyes declined, the beauty of most Persian rugs diminished. Hence, the theory we would advance is that it seems to make sense to define Persian rugs as "antique" if they were woven prior to the First World War. While not a perfect definition, that time period was one of profound change in artistry and quality of materials. One could stretch this definition to include the period from 1915 or so to the 1930s, especially as the term "semi-antique" seems to make little sense. That said, there are generally significant enough changes in the rugs and carpets woven in the 1920s and 1930s that they tend to be of lesser beauty than their late 19th and early 20th century counterparts, so we personally prefer the pre-1915 definition. Regardless, what seems very clear is that, by 1940, Persian rugs were only a shadow of their former selves. What should make the conversation all the more complex is the sort of second "Renaissance" of Persian rug manufacture that has occured in the last decade or so. With at least two or three small, very exclusive productions being started that once again attempt to return to the utilization of hand spun wool and natural dyes with a focus on the artistry of design, it seems that in another hundred years of so people can debate if a Persian rug woven 1890 is an "antique", a Persian rug from 1960 is not an "antique", though it will then be 150 years old, but, at least certain Persian rugs from 2005 are antiques based on a combination of their age, beauty and relationship to traditional manufacturing techniques and aesthetic formats.

   QUESTION: What is the difference between an "Oriental" rug and a "Persian" rug?

   ANSWER:  The phrase "Oriental Rug" represents a broader, more generic category that includes hand woven rugs made in Iran, India, Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq, Egypt, The Caucasus, Turkmenistan and China. The phrase "Persian Rug" applies only to rugs hand woven in Iran which, until the early 20th century, was traditionally known as Persia.

QUESTION:  Are Persian rugs more valuable than other types of Oriental rugs?

ANSWER:  Often, yes; but not necessarily. The value of a rug is determined by many factors, including where the rug was woven, its age, provenance, condition, color quality and, in some cases, how finely it is woven. Antique rugs are often more valuable than new rugs but, again, this is not categorically true. Some of the most valuable types of rugs are those woven for the Persian Safavid Dynasty rulers. They date to circa 1500 until the early 18th century. Turkish village rugs from the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries can also be extremely valuable. For late 19th century rugs, the finely woven rugs from the Persian cities of Keshan and Tabriz can be among the most highly prized; but exemplary carpets of the "Serapi" type, which were woven in the Heriz village area in Northwest Persia's Azerbaijan province, can also be very valuable. Antique rugs, including Kazak, Shirvan and Kuba weavings, from The Caucasus Mountain region of southern Russia that date from the 19th century or earlier can be quite valuable; as can rugs and bags woven by the various Turkoman tribes. Khotan and Chinese carpets that date to the 18th century or earlier can also be extremely valuable. Few rugs can rival the six and even seven figure sums that Safavid Dynasty rugs can command; but outstanding examples from other regions can often far surpass mundane Persian rugs in value.

QUESTION: How often should Oriental rugs or carpets be cleaned?

ANSWER: While the proper answer to this question depends on many variables, such as the type and durability of the rug or carpet, you might wish to clean durable rugs or carpets being used in very high traffic areas every year or two. We suggest cleaning durable rugs or carpets used in moderate traffic areas every three to seven years. Even those rugs or carpets used in areas with light traffic should be cleaned every seven to ten years or so to remove accumulated dust and grit, which can act as an abrasive. Very rare and delicate pieces should be cleaned with greater care, generally by hand. That said, they should still be cleaned, to enhance their beauty, and to protect them from environmental factors.

QUESTION: What is the best method for cleaning Oriental rugs or carpets?

ANSWER: This depends on the type of carpet; i.e., how dense and durable the fabric is; how dirty the carpet is, etc. It also depends on the materials used (for example, silk rugs are quite difficult to clean properly); as well as the steadfastness of the dyes. A carpet woven exclusively with natural dyes and wool pile can generally be safely soak washed. Certain soaps are considered more safe, both for the carpet and for people who will come in contact with the carpet. A skilled, professional cleaner can generally safely soak the carpet, scrub both the back and front, rinse and the remove excess water. The carpet can then either be suspended or left flat to dry. Some rugs, especially those woven using wool foundations, might then require blocking to get them to stay flatter on the floor. A high quality rug pad helps in that case, as well. Needless to say, a proper cleaning environment and experience will generally render a superior result. In other words: kids, don't try this at home. Seek out a knowledgeable and experienced oriental rug cleaning specialist. Many top galleries will offer this as a service. Do not use commercial, on-site cleaners who clean broadloom. Please remember, many oriental rugs, especially antique pieces, need to be treated with care and respect. Amortized over several years, the cleaning expense is minimal, and it will both help conserve the rug as art and as an item of economic value.

QUESTION: When should one use a pad under a rug?    

ANSWER: Essentially, always. It both protects the rug and individuals who walk on it. The most notable exception to this rule might be when an oriental rug is used on top of wall to wall carpeting. While pads are made for this scenario, it is still generally a challenge to get the oriental rugs to lie flat when walked on.

QUESTION: What is the difference between an Oriental "Rug" and an Oriental "Carpet"?

ANSWER: We tend to use the nomenclature that prevails in England, where a "RUG" is smaller than 6 feet by 9 feet, and a "CARPET" is larger than 6 feet by 9 feet. Many people use the terms interchangeably. Please see our GLOSSARY page, where we try to more fully elucidate the terminology often used in reference to rugs of certain sizes.

    QUESTION:  What are some of the most famous types of antique Persian tribal rugs?

ANSWER:   The most famous types of tribal rugs woven in Persia (modern day Iran) in the 19th and early 20th centuries were:  QashQa'i rugs from Fars Province in Southwest Persia; Khamseh rugs from Fars Province in Southwest Persia; Luri rugs from the Veramin area in North Persia and also in areas in Southwest Persia; Afshar rugs from South Central Persia; Bakhtiari Rugs from South Central Persia; and Kurdish rugs from Northwest Persia.

   QUESTION:  What are antique Caucasian rugs; and how do they differ from Persian rugs?

ANSWER:       "Caucasian Rugs" were woven in the area north of northwest Persia's Azerbaijan Province, east of eastern Turkey and west of the Caspian Sea and Turkmenistan. Thye are referred to as "Caucasian Rugs" since they are woven in the area of the Caucasus Mountains, frequently referred to simply as "The Caucasus". Some of the most famous types of Caucasian rugs are Kazak rugs, Shirvan Rugs, Daghestan Rugs and various village weavings from the Kuba district, including Karagashli rugs and Zeichur rugs. 19th century Caucasian rugs, with a few notable examples such as certain rugs from the Karabagh area that can be floral in design, tend to be geometric. They can resemble some Persian rugs aesthetically, but tend to have construction aspects that signal they were woven in the Caucasus rather than Persia. Kazak rugs, in particular, capture the imagination of western collectors with their graphic, geometric designs and powerful palettes. As can some antique Persian tribal rugs, such as pieces woven by the Kurdish weavers in Northwest Persia's Kurdistan and Azerbaijan Provinces, and the flat woven "Kilim" rugs made by QashQa'i weavers in Southwest Persia's Fars Province, Kazak (and some other types of Caucasian rugs) have a "modern" aesthetic that actually predates many other types of "modern" art, thus indicating the prescience and artistic sense of the weavers.