SO YOU WANT TO BUY A PERSIAN RUG ?

SO YOU WANT TO BUY A PERSIAN RUG ? Historically Carpet Sellers have a Reputation for Dishonesty ! In many European countries to call someone a carpet dealer is intended as a slur on their integrity and, unfortunately, many modern day dealers in, so called, Persian Carpets, continue this tradition of deceit as if by right.Through more than a Century of Miss Use the words Persian Rug have become a Generic Term to mean virtually any hand made rug and sometimes any rug with a curvilinear design, often even machine made and for the Unwary and Uninformed buying a so called Persian Rug will usually result in disappointment. A Persian Rug must be Hand made and it Must come from Iran to bare this name. But do not be deceived into thinking that the best and most valuable hand made rugs come only from Iran.If you are interested in obtaining a Persian or other Hand Knotted or Hand Woven Carpet for your floor it is Necessary to do some Research before making a purchase and to have At Least Some Idea of what you are buying as, unless you deal with someone who has a long history of research and speciality in the field, even the sellers will not know anything about the rugs they offer accept what is written on the ticket by the exporter. AND ANYONE who has TRAVELLED ANYWHERE in the Middle East, Far East or Asia KNOWS that it is NOT SENSIBLE to BELIEVE what you are told about ANYTHING, especially where money is concerned.It is Imperative to have Some Way of Classifying Hand Made Rugs and Carpets before any Credible Description can be given or understood and it is also necessary to know in which geographic region they were made.Any Knowledgeable and Honest Dealer will Classify their Rugs by the Long Accepted Method of the Manner of Their Creation.TRIBAL RUGS Those Made in a Traditional Tribal Situation From Hand Spun Wool from the Tribes Own Sheep, On Horizontal Looms, Virtually Always Portable Due to Migratory Concerns and Using Design Motifs and Styles Passed Down from Mother to Daughter. Most Tribal Rugs Have a Hand Spun Wool Warp and Weft with a Wool Pile. In the Early 20th Century some Tribal Groups Like the Afshar and Bakhtiar in Iran began a semi-nomadic existence due to government intervention in their lifestyle and some of their output up until the 1950s is still credible and can be classified as Tribal even though it is made on cotton warps. Other examples of Tribal Carpets are Turkoman (Sub Groups Ersari, Tekke, Beshir, Yomud), Baluch, Kashkay, Khamsah and Kurd. Late 19th Century Yomud Turkoman Hatchli or Engsi Circa 1880.THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A NEW TRIBAL RUG. No Present Day Tribal Group has the Capacity to Live in a Traditional Environment and to Produce Rugs in a Traditional Manner so if you ever see a rug Described as a Tribal Rug which is New or Created in the Last Twenty Years you Know it is MISS DESCRIBED. There have been some programs among some tribal groups to encourage them to continue creating rugs but these are NOT TRIBAL RUGS as they are created under sub-contract conditions and the necessary evolution of design and weaving style has been broken and lost. Most look nothing like an Authentic Tribal Rug from the group.Late 19th Century Turkoman Ersari Beshir Jollar, Storage Bag FaceSome Tribal Groups in Afghanistan Continued to Spontaneously Create Traditional Rugs Until the Late 1970s but New Rugs From Afghanistan are Created in Workshops and are ONLY COPIES of Traditional Tribal Carpets. Some Rare Kurdish Groups survived until the Same Time but these Tribes were so poor and lacking in wool and skills that their output was very mediocre.If you want to own a Genuine Tribal Rug it is Necessary to Look at Rugs Made Before 1960, some Afghan examples until the Late 1970s, and in the case of Iranian Tribal Groups, Prior to 1930 and even then some will be copies. The Best and Most Desirable Tribal Rugs from Any Tribe or Region were made Prior to 1910 and Utilised All Vegetable Dyes. They are Unmistakable and Irreplaceable. Be aware that many dealers call Rugs Tribal When they are Mass Produced in a Workshop Environment and do not even include a Genuine Tribal Design. Nearly All Tribal Rugs will be asymmetrical in shape to some degree due to having been made on a horizontal loom which has been moved during the knotting or weaving process and virtually NONE will be in as new condition unless they have been in the hands of collectors or museums for many years.VILLAGE RUGSHistorically Village Rugs were Produced in a Number of Regions of Iran, the Caucasus and Turkey in the Homes of the Weavers and Using Designs and Knotting Styles Handed Down Through Generations. Each Village had its Dye Master and this Skill was also Passed Down through the family. This Evolution of Design Styles and Colours is the way in which they can be Dated. Early 19th Century Ghiordes Village Rug from Western Turkey Circa 1820During the 19th Century European designers and dealers had some input into style and size and Many Famous Persian Village Rugs (Those Made in Villages in Iran) have Been Named by these Designers, for Instance the Ziegler Mahal, a very rare and Valuable Example of this Type of European Influenced Village Carpet. Unfortunately this change in design made the rugs into Workshop Produced carpets rather than true village rugs. Other Well Known Village Rugs from Iran are Heriz, including Gorevan and Karaja, Hamadan, including Senneh, Tuisarkhan and Mazlaghan. Village Rugs from Turkey include Konya, Sivas, Ghiordes, Kirsehir, Melas, Mudjur and Ladik. Gendje Rug, Caucasus Mountains, Last Quarter 19th CenturyThe other Rare and Highly Desirable Group of Village Made Rugs were created in the remote Regions of the Caucasus Mountains. A Genuine and Authentic Caucasian Village Rug MUST have been Created Prior to 1930 and the Most Highly Regarded Prior to 1900. Most Rugs made in the Caucasus after 1930 were Organised Production in either sub contract village or workshop situations. Some Examples are Kazak, Shirvan, Kuba and Karabagh. In Armenia many village dwelling weavers continued to create kilims in traditional design and style until well into the sixties and these are usually described by the name of the village where they came from. Kurdish Village Rug, North West Iran, First quarter of the 20th Century.From the 1960s Production of Village Rugs in All Areas became organised and weavers were supplied with looms, patterns and pre-dyed wool so little individuality was possible. Some new rugs are still produced in a village situation but the output shows little credibility and the payment and working conditions of weavers is very poor. Credible Village Made Rugs Must Have Been Created Prior to 1970 and Most Prior to the Second World War. Those made Prior to 1910 are Very Rare and Highly Sought After.WORKSHOP RUGS