Although the weavers\u2019 names have been lost, experts develop an encyclopedic knowledge of the techniques, colours and patterns that help situate each example in a particular time and place. And there\u2019s no hard and fast rule, but a carpet tends to be classed as a room-sized floor covering, whereas a rug is smaller, usually under nine feet.<\/p>\n
\u2018Every single one tells a story,\u2019 Louise continues. \u2018But it has two sides. We learn a lot from the design and colours on the front, but the genetic fingerprint is on the back. That\u2019s where we see how it\u2019s really made \u2013 the materials used for the warp and weft, the quality and style of the knotting. All these things give clues about its true identity.\u2019<\/p>\n
You might also like<\/strong> our guide to buying Rya rugs<\/a><\/p>\n Most antique rugs and carpets were made in the Oriental world, a vast area extending from North Africa, Turkey, the Caucasus, modern-day Iran, Central Asia and Afghanistan, to Pakistan, India and China. The carpet-making tradition spread along the so-called Silk Road, an ancient trade route stretching across Asia and into Europe.<\/p>\n Louise explains that there are two main types of Oriental rug or carpet. \u2018Court or town carpets were woven with high-quality wool<\/a> or silk, sometimes incorporating intricate metal threads, and made according to very precise patterns on large, fixed looms. They took years to produce and were commissioned to decorate royal palaces<\/a> or used as ambassadorial gifts \u2013 it\u2019s why we see numerous Turkish and Persian rugs reproduced in paintings of the English Tudor court and in the Old Dutch Masters in the west.\u2019<\/p>\n The second type are village or nomadic rugs, which were woven on much smaller looms, and the patterns were passed between the generations orally, so over time the designs evolved. \u2018They were mainly made by and for women \u2013 as dowry pieces, for example,\u2019 says Louise. \u2018Evil eyes, amulets, hair combs, flowers, animals, or small male and female figures holding hands were sometimes woven into the subsidiary design \u2013 perhaps because mothers wanted to pass these good luck tokens to their daughters.\u2019<\/p>\n Katrien Vermeeren, founder and owner of London-based rug shop Emily\u2019s House, loves the bold simplicity of tribal rugs, and Moroccan rugs in particular. \u2018Their strong colours and geometric designs complement both antique<\/a> and new furniture \u2013 other Oriental rugs can be too full-on for a contemporary setting,\u2019 she says. \u2018And the older rugs are one of a kind. They bring personality and individuality to a living space. They were made from the heart.\u2019<\/p>\n Louise distinguishes between two main markets at auction<\/a>. Collectors of classical rugs and carpets are interested in rare survivors from the 15th to 18th centuries, made long before the advent of commercial production. One of the particularly attractive features of these carpets is what\u2019s known as an \u2018abrash\u2019. Yarns were coloured using natural plant dyes, so no two batches turned out precisely the same, leading to tonal differences (or abrashes) within the same rug. \u2018Modern weavers try, and fail, to reproduce the beauty of an abrash,\u2019 says James Cohen. \u2018But those weavers long ago knew how to handle the different tones artistically. That skill has been lost.\u2019<\/p>\n The other market Louise describes is that of decorative rugs and carpets. Gradually, from the 1870s, as synthetic dyes started to be incorporated into carpet-making, production was scaled up and they became a major export. \u2018Compared with the earlier pieces the quality started to decline,\u2019 says Louise. \u2018But there\u2019s still night and day between good antique decorative rugs and most modern rugs.\u2019<\/p>\n Given their rarity, large, intact classical carpets fetch enormous sums at auction. But if you don\u2019t have tens of thousands of pounds to invest in a classical masterpiece, framed remnants offer an accessible alternative. \u2018They tell a great story,\u2019 enthuses Louise. \u2018And the colours \u2013 even from the 15th and 16th centuries \u2013 are phenomenal.\u2019<\/p>\n In the decorative market, prices can be unpredictable, because they\u2019re at the whim of fashion and taste. Colour has a huge impact \u2013 currently pillar-box red and navy blue are totally unfashionable. \u2018I look for the one per cent of rugs that have true sparkle and individuality,\u2019 says James. \u2018You don\u2019t necessarily pay more for a bigger rug \u2013 they\u2019re not sold strictly by the metre \u2013 but rugs with great colours and charisma are definitely more desirable.\u2019<\/p>\n Antique rugs and carpets took thousands of hours to create, travelled the globe and survived for centuries. Should you really put them on the floor, and walk all over them? \u2018Absolutely!\u2019 laughs James. \u2018That\u2019s what they\u2019re made for.\u2019 Delicate old silk carpets need to be treated more carefully, he warns, but otherwise buyers should just take sensible precautions, as with other soft furnishings.<\/p>\n For more information, check out our guide on<\/strong> how to clean antique rugs<\/a><\/p>\n There\u2019s one significant downside to buying an antique rug or carpet, cautions James. \u2018You won\u2019t find precisely the right size, design and colours straightaway. A rug definitely brings a room together, but it\u2019s better to start planning with a rug, rather than use it as a finishing touch. Most people think of the floor last, which makes finding the right thing far more difficult.\u2019<\/p>\n Whether an antique rug is your first thought or a final flourish, specialist fairs<\/a>, like The London Antique Rug and Textile Art Fair (LARTA), are a good way to avoid endless traipsing around or online scrolling, as they bring lots of dealers and their stock into one place. However you decide to buy, perhaps like the love-struck 16-year-old James Cohen you\u2019ll end up falling for your own magic carpet\u2026<\/p>\n The London Antique Rug and Textile Art Fair (LARTA) 25th to 30th January 2022 larta.net<\/a><\/p>\n Christie\u2019s Dates to be confirmed christies.com<\/a><\/p>\n James Cohen Antique Carpets jamescohencarpets.com<\/a><\/p>\nWhat are the different types of antique rugs?<\/h2>\n
Oriental rugs<\/h3>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/19\/2023\/01\/Kashmir-Durbar-rug-832e399-e1672829120111.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C290"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Nomadic rugs<\/h3>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/19\/2023\/01\/Scandinavian-flatwoven-rug-circa-1970preview-9827210.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C909"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Moroccan rugs<\/h3>\n
Classical rugs<\/h3>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/19\/2023\/01\/Christies-antique-rug-8f20081-e1672828532996.jpg?quality=90&resize=619%2C429"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Decorative rugs<\/h3>\n
How much do antique rugs cost?<\/h2>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/19\/2023\/01\/Akstafa-long-rug-f167f0a.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C826"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>How to care for antique rugs<\/h2>\n
How to choose an antique rug<\/h2>\n
Where to buy antique rugs<\/h2>\n