Millions of people have been savvy enough to use the purchase of an Oriental rug as a form of investment. After all, they are not different from many types of art and many are antiques of great significance. Yet, it can be difficult to easily know the age of your Oriental rug at first glance, or even second and third glances! So, to help you with that, we have a few effective tips and solutions for the issue and by using them, you are going to be able to know the age and even the relative value of your Oriental rug!
Oriental Does NOT Mean Old
One of the biggest blunders people might make when seeking to determine the age of their Oriental rug is that the phrase Oriental rug itself translates to “old” or “antique”. While a huge number of Oriental rugs are very old, there are many that only began production during the post-WWII period, making them old in some ways, but not yet antiques.
As one expert in the matter says, “Pakistani rugs…have been in production only sometime after World War II…. Persian Qum rugs and White Kashan rugs… have been in production less than 100 years.”
So, don’t jump to the conclusion that your rug is old because it was produced in the areas that denote Oriental rugs.
Consider the Color
Chemical dyes were not available for centuries and so many rugs were made with natural dyes particular to a specific region. Many experts are able to gauge the origin or relative age of a rug by the dyes used, but again, proper storage or even a carpet that has been rolled up and out of sight for decades or longer looks much newer because its colors are fresh and unfaded.
Style is Often the Biggest Clue
Experts would always point a rug owner towards any resources that evaluated a rug’s pattern. The style often determines the relative age. Pair that with the amount of wear or tear, and even damages and repairs and you may start to get a better idea of the age. The numbers of knots per inch are also good clues with many antiques having very high numbers of knots per square inch.
These are only a few of the ways you might begin to determine the age of an Oriental rug. Consulting with an expert is your best option as this can give the backstory of the rug and even let you know if insurance or professional cleaning may be advised.