An informed consumer is one who will be most likely to get the Oriental rug that they truly want. For the discriminating person, no less than the best will do, and it’s actually easier than you may think to tell a top quality rug from a mediocre one. To begin with, there are basically 3 types of Oriental rugs on the market today:
- Machine made rugs are just that – rugs that have been produced on a mechanical loom with basically no human input.
- Hand-knotted rugs are the ‘real thing’, the Oriental rug that people most treasure. These rugs have been made by talented artisans who actually knot each strand of fiber by hand on a loom.
- Hand-tufted Oriental rugs often masquerade as ‘handmade’ rugs, but they are made on a pre-printed canvas sheet using a special ‘gun’ that shoots the rug fibers through the canvas.
Identifying an Authentic Oriental Rug
Fortunately, there are some tell-tales that will help you to detect the quality of a rug. Applying a few of these when considering a purchase makes it more likely that you will be just as pleased with your rug years from now as you were when you first saw it.
- Good Oriental rugs have a clear and distinct pattern. The figures stand out sharply without looking blurred or messy.
- Natural dyes are another sign that the rug is of a high quality. Chemical dyes just don’t have the sheen of natural vegetable dyes.
- The age of the rug is also a good indicator of its authenticity; the older the rug is, the more likely it is to be a genuine, hand-knotted Oriental rug.
- Long pile usually is telling you that you are dealing with an inferior rug. Oriental rugs of quality have a short pile that speaks of the skill of the maker, and also contributes to a longer life for the rug.
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